Bridging the gap between art and business A true partnership between arts, cultural organizations and the business community will contribute to a thriving national economy and strong cultural sphere say arts and business leaders from the community.  “One of the key secrets to developing the arts in Vietnam is to harness the support of the business community,” said Media Director Vu Tuan Anh of the Viet Art Space Project. In addition, Anh underscores the importance of installing a new generation of artistic directors who possess visionary leadership as well as constructing world-class facilities, and garnering creative support of art patrons. At one time companies saw their support of the arts as purely a charitable contribution but that view is now shifting as more and more companies are beginning to realize that a thriving arts community offers both tangible and intangible benefits. First of all, if companies want to attract and retain the brightest and most highly skilled employees they recognize those professionals want a stimulating, creative community to live in and raise their families. Contributions to the arts enhance the quality of the life and companies around the world are beginning to view their contributions as an investment in the community that directly bears on staff recruitment.   Secondly, their contributions help to remove financial barriers that prevent talented high school art students in underserved or low-income areas from expanding their creative training outside the traditional classroom setting. “Studies increasingly show that youth participation in the arts improves overall academic achievement, school attendance, along with understanding and acceptance of diverse cultures,” said Anh. In addition, contributions are used to fund roundtables, workshops and peer learning opportunities to executives at arts and culture organizations and help remove price barriers for them in attending such events. Anh noted that if all non-profit arts and cultural organizations throughout the nation were a single private employer it would be one of the most financially sound industries in the nation. On the negative side of the industry, Vietnamese art has been severely damaged over the past years by the uncontrollable onslaught of forged and copied paintings and other pieces of artwork. With the aim of becoming the most authoritative art curator in Vietnam and instituting a more positive image to thwart the mistrust that has arisen, Viet Art Space was established earlier this year. One of the galleries first exhibits will be of contemporary paintings of painters Le Kinh Tai, Nguyen Quang Vinh and Bui Hai Son on October 27-29 at the Urban Art Gallery in Ho Chi Minh City. VOV