Sometimes creating community through the arts starts in a cubicle or cafeteria. Every year, we are astonished at the variety of creative and engaging activities that companies create as part of their ArtsWave workplace campaigns. We love seeing how employees come together to celebrate creativity and build company pride. Here are a just a few of our recent favorite examples.

1. Inspiring Collaborations:  Weeks before the beginning of their ArtsWave campaign, LPK partnered with Exhale Dance Tribe and the chamber ensemble concert:nova to create a unique collaborative work of art. Solo dancer Sarah Emmons dipped her hands and feet in black paint and danced across a canvas to the music of concert:nova. See the amazing video here and check out LPK’s office windows to see the finished paintings.

2. Food Fight: Every year at the Cincinnati Art Museum, the staff concludes their campaign with a food competition. This year, teams of four will create edible displays centered around the theme “Back to the Future,” highlighting different eras including the Roaring 20s, the Ancient World, and the Future. Employees are encouraged to dine by the bite for $1 each with proceeds going to the ArtsWave campaign. Points are given for presentation and taste and the winning team gets bragging rights. Back at ArtsWave’s office, the competition to get to be a judge for this particular contest is fierce.

3. March Madness: Our friends at Game Day Communications love to mix arts and sports. Every March, they do a bracket challenge to support the ArtsWave campaign. Anyone can donate $20 to submit their bracket. “If you don’t follow basketball, just tell us your favorite color and we’ll fill out your bracket for you,” says Jackie Reau, Game Day’s CEO. 30 to 50 people enter each year and Game Day provides prizes to the biggest winner and the biggest loser at the end of the tournament. 

4. Creativity Packs: For their internal campaign, employees at KPMG will be stuffing 75 ArtsWave backpacks with art supplies for children which will be distributed this summer by the officers of Cincinnati Police Department District 1.

5. Paint Parties: GE Aviation employees have collaborated to create large murals on their office campus as part of their ArtsWave campaign. This year, they decided to do something a little different and host 6 “Paint Parties”. For a small donation, employees can enjoy snacks and drinks while painting a small square canvas that will be part of a larger arts installation.

6. Stars and Selfies: Macy’s employees decorated large paper-mache’ stars for a friendly in-house art competition by department. Employees were also invited to pop in to the ArtsWave selfie booth and take a photo with fun props and one word that described why the arts were important to them. Mr. RedLegs from the Cincinnati Reds even joined them for a selfie session over lunch one day!

7. Scavenger Hunt: Fifth Third Bank will sponsor up 40 of its young professionals to participate in ArtsWave’s Amazing Arts Race on April 18. In a creative scavenger hunt inspired by the hit reality TV series The Amazing Race, teams of young professionals race to complete a series of arts challenges in Downtown Cincinnati and beyond. Want to form a team? Email YP@theartswave.org and look for registration information here.