Spa treatments, DIRTT keep arts and entertainment alive
For many fine arts organizations, corporate support and sponsorship are the key to their survival and growth.
Without that funding, many theatre, dance and performance groups wouldn’t have the means to operate and present the quality output patrons have come to expect of Calgary artists.
It is up to locally minded companies to help keep the arts flourishing in Calgary, says Ross Hahn, owner of Swizzle Sticks SalonSpa and patron of the arts.
“If we are not careful to preserve and build our culture through art, through community, through local businesses who care and whose profit goes back into that city, then you’re going to end up with a pretty sterile-looking city,” he says.
To preserve the culture and vibrancy of the city, Hahn and his staff have proudly supported many groups around town for years.
The popular Kensington salon and spa gives away about $100,000 every year in services and monetary donations to support a variety of grassroots Calgary- and Alberta-based organizations.
For the past five years, Swizzle-Sticks has been a style sponsor of Alberta Ballet, taking care of all of the hair and beauty needs of the dance company.
It also makes donations to, and participates in, their annual fundraising events.
Hahn has also been a loyal supporter of the Calgary Folk Music Festival, Calgary International Film Festival and One Yellow Rabbit theatre group.
“They are intrinsic to Calgary so it’s a no-brainer for us,” he says.
Having style and spa sponsors, as well as contributors to fundraising efforts, has given these groups the means to highlight amazing local and national talent.
For Hahn and his employees, the arts are an obvious area to place their support.
“We’re all artists and we are all very involved in the art community, so that’s a natural go-to for us,” Hahn says.
For other companies, the contributions are an equally good fit.
DIRTT Environmental Solutions, which produces prefab interior construction for offices, showed its support by providing custom administrative offices for Theatre Junction and the Calgary Folk Music Festival.
“It’s important to us because we love the culture here and it’s our home, and a big part of our belief system is making sure we are supporting the community around us,” says Julie Pithers, DIRTT’s business and community development spokesperson.
DIRTT’s business is design, so arts and culture are an obvious pairing when looking for community initiatives to support. And it seeks out events and groups that mirror the corporation’s community focus and philosophy.
“We try to find events or groups that reflect what our employees are really interested in or something that we think is important to the city to keep going,” she says.
DIRTT is a financial sponsor for the quirky Beakerhead Festival, as well as the Calgary International Film Festival’s Green Carpet Gala for environmental films.
These and countless other businesses are safeguarding the city’s varied arts entertainment scene with continued financial support and donations of goods and services for fundraising events.
At the same time, they are helping create a vibrant, rich community that Calgarians can be proud of.
“That’s what we’re doing with REAP and Be Local, all of these initiatives are meant to speak up and tell Calgarians the importance of supporting local businesses, organizations, arts groups, community events, and local sports clubs — that’s the mosaic that makes a city worth living in,” Hahn says.