CULTURAL ALLIANCE OF WESTERN CONNECTICUT
TO HONOR BUSINESS, COMMUNITY, AND VOLUNTEER LEADERS
FOR THEIR PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT OF ARTS & CULTURE
AT 7TH ANNUAL “BUSINESS SUPPORTS THE ARTS” BREAKFAST
ONOCTOBER 17AT CROWNE PLAZA DANBURY
TV PERSONALITY MAR JENNINGS IS KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Each year at its annual signature breakfast, the Cultural Alliance of
Western Connecticut recognizes extraordinary business, community, and
volunteer leaders who have made an impact in the Greater Danbury
region through their vital giving to the arts, history, and culture.
There are three honors given every year: the “Business Supports the
Arts” award, the “Arts in the Community” award,” and the “Heart of the
Arts” award. OnThursday, October 17, 7:30am, at Crowne Plaza Danbury,
Danbury Hospital & Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra, Steve Greenberg,
Chairman of Ives Concert Park, and Barbara Manners, Ridgefield
Selectwoman, will step up to the podium before a room full of their
peers to receive their much deserved commendations. The Cultural
Alliance will also present a special acknowledgement to the Newtown
Cultural Arts Commission for its “HealingNewtown” project. TV
personality Mar Jennings is the keynote speaker (pictured below). The
2013 “Business Supports the Arts” breakfast’s bank sponsors are Union
Savings Bank and Fairfield County Bank. For individual tickets, table
sponsorships, and ad packages, go to
http://bsabreakfast.
The prestigious “Business Supports the Arts” award, presented this
year to Danbury Hospital and the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra, is
presented to mid-sized to large businesses for exemplary giving
practices. Their significant collaboration to produce “Sweet Dreams,”
a CD of lullabies from around the world, led to the distribution of
1000 copies of the CD to patient families cared for in the Spratt
Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Danbury Hospital. The
partnership’s vital contributions to fund and support the project
demonstrated a critical understanding of the value of the arts to all
members of our community, including the tiniest, their families, and
care givers.
Steven Greenberg, Chairman of Ives Concert Park, is the recipient of
the “Arts in the Community” award, promoting innovative approaches to
using the arts to build and sustain creative communities that focus on
economic development. Since appointed Chairman in 2005, the Ives
Concert Park has generated an average attendance of 50,000 to 60,000
guests annually to its many concerts, festivals, and performances.
Under Steve’s leadership, the Ives has become a creative flagship and
critical generator for economic development for the region.
The “Heart of the Arts” award recognizes outstanding volunteer effort
and an individual’s contribution to nurture arts and culture in their
community to increase quality of life. Honoree Barbara Manners,
Ridgefield Selectwoman and ardent arts leader, has dedicated sixteen
years to promoting the arts in Ridgefield and throughout Connecticut.
She has served on the board of the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra, the
advisory board for the Connecticut Folk Festival & Green Expo,
formerly served as President of the Ridgefield Playhouse, and founded
CHIRP, an outdoor summer series, and Acoustic Celebration, an indoor
series during the colder months, in 2002.
Keynote Speaker, Mar Jennings, an Emmy-nominated TV host, lifestyle
expert and best selling author, is a master at creating a casual
luxury lifestyle made simple and sMARt – and making it quickly
understood and easy-to-apply with his trademark sMARt tips and
techniques. Jennings comes from a background in banking and offers an
interesting perspective on the value of creativity in work and
personal lives. He has been featured on HGTV, the Today Show, QVC,
Food Network, ABC, CBS, CNN, and NBC. Jennings and his home and garden
designs and tips have been profiled and featured in The New York
Times, Huffington Post, Better Homes & Gardens’ Decorating Magazine,
Home Magazine, Quick & Simple Magazine, and Small Gardens Magazine. He
is the author of the nationally acclaimed, best selling “Life On
Mar’s: A Four Season Garden.” Media and consumers alike rave about his
award-winning websitewww.marjennings.comas one of the best resources
for home and garden tips.
The Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut, based in Danbury,
Connecticut, is a leader in supporting a vibrant arts and culture
community in Northern Fairfield and Southern Litchfield Counties. The
Cultural Alliance promotes and advocates for arts, history, and
culture as a primary driver of the economy and as an enriching
influence for communities and people. The Cultural Alliance
understands and believes that the arts sector is a critical engine for
growth through creativity, innovation and collaboration. The Cultural
Alliance of Western Connecticut, a 501c-3, is the largest and only
regional service organization working to ensure better access to arts
and culture for all residents and visitors in the Housatonic Valley
region. The Cultural Alliance is supported by public funding,
corporate and private contributions, and by its membership.
www.artswesternct.org
