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Business Support of the Arts

American Electric Power (AEP), Statewide

Nominated By: Wexner Center for the Arts

American Electric Power (AEP) and its affiliates, AEP Ohio and the American Electric Power Foundation, serve a critical role as arts advocates and philanthropic leaders to the Ohio arts community. AEP’s ongoing commitment to the communities it serves is evidenced by its generous support for dozens of arts and cultural initiatives in all disciplines. The company’s headquarters are in Columbus, but their support of the arts reaches across the state. In 2008 AEP’s giving to the arts in Ohio totaled more than $1.1 million. This support allows arts organizations to leverage their work to enrich communities throughout the state, making Ohio a richer hub for creative talent; a leader in innovative arts education; and a unique and vibrant home for young professionals, families, and thriving businesses. AEP provides generous ongoing annual support to fund educational programming efforts for central Ohio K-12 students and they involve employees at all levels in arts initiatives through the AEP Connects program. AEP Connects supports individual employee efforts by awarding small grants to organizations where they volunteer.
For the past decade, one of the Central Ohio beneficiaries of AEP’s generous support has been the Wexner Center for the Arts. The company’s support of the Wexner corporate membership campaign has increased each year and they provide special project support enabling the Wexner Center to offer the highest quality educational programming. In addition to significant financial contributions, AEP leaders use their skills and resources to make their communities better places to live and work. AEP Chief Operating Officer Carl English—and, before him, AEP Chief Information Officer Kevin Walker—have dedicated substantial time and energy to advancing the center’s mission by serving as trustees of the Wexner Center Foundation. Other AEP support for the arts in Central Ohio includes: funding for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra's Youth Orchestra and Music Educator Awards; a multi-year AEP Foundation grant for renovation of the Columbus College of Art & Design's new Broad Street classroom facility; a multi-year AEP Foundation grant for the restoration and endowment of the historic Lincoln Theatre; the Ohio Historical Society's "Rockwell's America" exhibition featuring life-size recreations of many of Norman Rockwell's most notable Saturday Evening Post covers; support for the King Arts Complex "Global Traditions" series celebrating diverse artistic expressions; and sponsorship of the Columbus Museum of Art's annual Art Ball.
AEP Ohio and AEP Foundation support stretches across the state. An AEP Foundation grant for the Kent State University Tuscarawas Campus Center for the Performing Arts helped build a community arts performance space in New Philadelphia for use by the entire county including local schools that lack performance space. Beneficiaries of AEP Ohio corporate giving include: ArtsinStark's "SmArts" programming that integrates the arts into math and science learning for K-12 students in Canton and the Stark County area; operational support of Stuart's Opera House, the cultural anchor of Nelsonville's historic public square; the Lima Symphony Orchestra for performances, education and community partnerships; and the French Arts Colony, a regional multi-arts center based in Gallipolis dedicated to enhancing local quality of life through the arts, education and economic development. Through its dedication to supporting cultural and intellectual life in our communities, AEP has consistently proven itself as a model corporate partner for the arts in Ohio.

AEP video tribute (4:53 minutes)