Mission:
Our mission to foster and build partnerships between business and the arts that are mutually beneficial and contribute to the economic and cultural vitality of Greater Miami and the South Florida Region. We accomplish this mission with programs that promote voluntarism, build arts management capacity, gather and disseminate relevant information, and advocate closer ties between business and the arts.
History:
The Arts & Business Council (ABC) is a unique organization that is making a difference in South Florida by providing the catalyst for building working partnerships between the corporate and cultural communities. We currently assist over 500 arts groups through volunteer programs, leadership training, customized board retreats, educational workshops, collaborations, networking events and executive consultancies. By providing leadership opportunities and spearheading innovative programs and initiatives, the Arts & Business Council has made a lasting impact on the business community, arts and cultural organizations, and the whole region. Since our inception in 1985, Arts & Business Council staff, volunteers and outreach has contributed more than nine million dollars in services to the cultural community.
As we mark our twenty-sixth year anniversary at the Arts & Business Council and look toward the future, we see new challenges facing the cultural community. The services of ABC have never been more in demand from both our cultural clients and corporate partners. Change is inevitable and proactive arts organizations are planning to do business differently. The Arts & Business Council provides the catalyst for creating working partnerships between the corporate and cultural communities, which provide the necessary tools for internal change and create more productive and stable non-profit groups. The Arts & Business Council is well prepared to embark upon a new era in arts management, arts development, arts partnership and arts advocacy. We are very proud that since our inception in 1985, ABC staff, board and volunteers have contributed time and services valued at over eight million dollars to Miami’s cultural community. ABC currently works with more than 500 cultural organizations and is one of the only local groups assisting small, midsize and emerging arts programs. We also assist more than 2,500 artists. The Arts & Business Council has developed several innovative programs to support Florida artists and organizations. Many arts organizations, particularly small and emerging groups, need to strengthen their management capability in order to make more efficient use of existing resources, and to increase their chances for securing additional resources. The Arts & Council accomplishes this in part by linking skilled volunteers from the business community with arts organizations through direct service and integrated projects, training programs, information systems, networking events, workshops and board development to help prepare future arts leaders and managers. In addition, such organizations must have the sophistication and the strategies to develop beneficial and ongoing relationships with the business community. An increased portion of business support is generated from marketing and public relations budgets—rather than from philanthropic contributions, making it critical for arts groups to be more creative in their efforts to establish partnerships with businesses.
Moving Forward:
We look toward the future and see new challenges facing the cultural community. The services of ABC have never been more in demand from both our cultural clients and corporate partners. Change is inevitable and proactive arts organizations are planning to do business differently. The Arts & Business Council provides the catalyst for creating working partnerships between the corporate and cultural communities, which provide the necessary tools for internal change and create more productive and stable non-profit groups. The Arts & Business Council is well prepared to embark upon a new era in arts management, arts development, arts partnership and arts advocacy. The Arts & Business Council has developed several innovative programs to support Florida artists and organizations. Many arts organizations, particularly small and emerging groups, need to strengthen their management capability in order to make more efficient use of existing resources, and to increase their chances for securing additional resources. The Arts & Business Council accomplishes this in part by linking skilled volunteers from the business community with arts organizations through direct service and integrated projects, training programs, information systems, networking events, workshops and board development to help prepare future arts leaders and managers. In addition, such organizations must have the sophistication and the strategies to develop beneficial and ongoing relationships with the business community. An increased portion of business support is generated from marketing and public relations budgets—rather than from philanthropic contributions, making it critical for arts groups to be more creative in their efforts to establish partnerships with businesses.
A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The Arts & Business Council of Miami helps drive the cultural vitality and economic development of the region by strengthening the partnership between the corporate and cultural communities. The arts have a billion dollar economic impact in Miami-Dade. We are a major industry employing more than 22,000 Cultural Workers from executives and administrators and accountants to artists and carpenters. More than 12 million people attend cultural events each year in Miami-Dade.
The Arts & Business Council stimulates more financial support for the arts, accelerates and supports voluntarism, invigorates services the arts can offer to business, encourages the transfer of management expertise from business to the arts, and promotes the sharing of knowledge and best practices. When business and arts work closely together they have a significant impact in supporting a culturally rich and diverse region, contribute to a strong quality of life, drive economic development, stimulate creativity and innovation in companies and the community, create jobs and build a foundation of skills for the workforce of the future.
The Arts & Business Council currently assist over 500 arts groups through volunteer programs, leadership training, volunteer consultancies, workshops, collaborations, pro bono legal assistance and networking events. We continue to develop and implement innovative programs to support South Florida artists, address cultural diversity and respond to the needs of the groups we assist. In the current economic climate the Arts & Business Council has both the opportunity and obligation to provide services that can help the cultural community with new initiatives that reward arts organizations that effectively and efficiently use their resources. Our services to provide outreach and stabilization to the arts groups we serve have never been more in demand and have become increasingly essential to maintaining a vital and diverse cultural community.
ABOUT LAURA BRUNEY
As Executive Director of the Arts & Business Council of Miami for the past 25 years, Laura Bruney has helped strengthen the cultural community through leadership and board development programs, audience development and marketing initiatives, volunteer programs for the arts and networking and community events. She is responsible for the day-to-day operations and management of Council staff, policy and programs. Ms. Bruney works closely with the governing board to develop and implement the Council's strategic plan, interfaces with the cultural community on behalf of the Council, and is the Council's chief spokesperson. Ms. Bruney is responsible for the development and implementation of new programs and services, diversified fund-raising and public relations strategies, and the overall development and coordination of the organization's signature event, the Serving the Arts Luncheon. Under her leadership the Arts & Business Council has expanded by more than 1,000% attracting new volunteers and community leaders. She is enthusiastically creates partnerships between the corporate and cultural communities. To that end, she works closely with the boards and executive staff of over 500 cultural organizations and recruits, trains and manages over 50 executive consultants and 2,500 direct service volunteers from the corporate community.
Ms. Bruney is very active in the community. She was selected to serve on the Private Sector Council for Americans for the Arts. Additional involvement includes: serving on the Executive Committee of the Arts Action Alliance and on the Advisory Board of the Greater Miami Festivals Association and Theatre League of South Florida. She is a graduate of Leadership Miami and the National Arts Strategies Leadership for the Arts. She is a member of the Coral Gables Chamber and is active in the Arts Committee and partners with the Miami Beach Chamber each year to host an Arts Means Business Forum. She was selected by Commissioner Jorge Exposito to serve on the Miami Beach Women's Commission and works with them on pay equity and arts outreach opportunities. Ms. Bruney has also served on numerous grant panels for the Miami Dade Department of Cultural Affairs and the State of Florida.
Ms. Bruney has been honored with Who's Who of American Women, International Who's Who of Professional and Business Women, Miami Beach Chamber Amethyst Award in Non-Profits, City theatre's Summer Shorts Award for Community Leadership, Miami Arts Exchange Maxie Recognition Award, New theater's Berta de Acha Chourrot Award, Miami Today's Up & Comers Award - Arts & Culture Category, Greater Miami Chamber Special Recognition Award and Who's Who of Women Executives. Ms. Bruney received a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Miami School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Communications from the University of Florida.
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