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[[header]] PhILIP MORRIS AND THE ARTS

A belief in the value of innovation and experimentation has guided Philip Morris Companies Inc., throughout its history, to success in its business affairs. For nearly three decades, this same basic philosophy has governed Philip Morris's sponsorship of the arts— with the same dramatic success.

Philip Morris has contributed to close to 1,000 cultural organizations, programs and activities since 1958. The company has consistently shown commitment to both quality and equality within the arts. Through its broad spectrum of sponsorship, Philip Morris promotes newer, emerging art forms as well as established institutions and minority cultural programs. This boldness has earned the company over thirty awards from arts and business organizations. In addition to being a several-time winner of the Business Committee for the Arts "Business in the Arts Award," Philip Morris was honored by the United States President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities "for its civic leadership" in corporate support of the arts in 1983. Philip Morris sponsors projects throughout the world, including Africa, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Australia and the Middle East.

Philip Morris displays its varied collections within its worldwide facilities. Most are the works of regional artists, sculptors, and craftspersons. These artworks create a stimulating, congenial working atmosphere, and promote employee creativity. 

The first Philip Morris sponsored museum exhibition was "Pop & Op" in 1965, featuring works by leading contemporary artists. Commissioning more than half of the show's 65 paintings, the company was hailed for its daring in supporting this original and controversial avant-garde art. This set the tone for future exhibitions, many of which were ground-breaking.

Highlights in the visual arts include "Edward Hopper: The Art and the Artist"; "Kandinsky in Munich: 1896-1914"; "The Precious Legacy: Judaic Treasures from the Czechoslovak State Collections"; and "Willem de Kooning: Painting and Sculpture." The landmark "The Vatican Collections: The Papacy and Art" was sponsored by a $3 million gift to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the largest corporate grant ever given for the arts. The much heralded exhibition of "'Primitivism' in 20th Century Art: Affinity of the Tribal and the Modern" followed.

In support of Afro-American art, Phillip Morris funded "Romare Bearden: 1970-1980";"Harlem My Home";"Hidden Heritage: Afro-American Art 1800-1950";"Moneta Sleet, Jr: Pulitzer Prize Photojournalist";"Choosing: An exhibition of Changing perspectives in Modern Art and Art Criticism by Black Americans, 1925-1985";"Perspectives"; and "Progressions: A Cultural Legacy."

Recent regional exhibitions include "Southern Folk Art,""Third Western States Exhibition," and "Texas: Art on the Road."

Other exhibitions continue the diversity and excitement of the program.

A branch of the Whitney Museum of American Art, which opened in 1983 on the ground floor of the new Philip Morris World Headquarters building in New York City, provides cultural enrichment to midtown audiences through both is permanent and changing exhibitions.

PHILIP MORRIS AND THE ARTS

Philip Morris extends its support to the performing arts as well. Here again the company has shown a dedication to fresh new talent. Philip Morris funds the Brooklyn Academy of Music's internationally acclaimed, avant-garde "Next Wave" Festival. The Joffrey Ballet, known for the quality of its performances and breadth of its repertoire, has been sponsored by Philip Morris since 1982. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater receives support for its extensive tours, bringing excellent choreography and dance, as well as America's indigenous jazz and blues music, to many countries. Sponsorship also extends to the Dance Theatre of Harlem Open House Series.

Through the "Music at the Crossroads" series, Philip Morris funds public concerts in its branch of the Whitney Museum of American Art. These concerts range from chamber music to jazz to ethnic music. The company also sponsors art festivals such as "City Stage" in Greensboro, NC, and "Footprints in the Garden," a series of performances by young dance companies presented by Spoleto U.S.A. in Charleston, SC.

In 1984, Philip Morris created a fund, called the Theatre Project, to provide operating support for theater groups of all sizes, which are making significant contributions to the field. It was followed by three other funds, the Music Project, the Dance Project, and the Performance Centers Project.

Philip Morris has also sponsored four Louis Harris surveys on "Americans and the Arts," the publication of "Museums for a New Century," and seventeen art-related films. Operating costs of the Rome Prize Competition of the American Academy in Rome are paid for by Philip Morris. 

Philip Morris is proud of its long-standing involvement in the arts. The company remains dedicated to enriching the communities in which it operates by promoting high-quality, innovative art in all its forms.

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Whitney Museum of American Art at Philip Morris