Standard Life, Publicité Sauvage, Pierre Bourgie and Derek A. Price honoured at the Prix Arts-Affaires de Montréal 2011

Montréal, May 31, 2012 – This evening at L’Astral, the winners of the 2011 Prix Arts-Affaires de Montréal were announced. Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, and Louise Roy, President of the Conseil des arts de Montréal, Co-Chairs of the Honorary Committee for the awards, presented honours to Standard Life (Large Enterprise category), Publicité Sauvage (SME category), Pierre Bourgie (Arts/Business Personality category) and Derek A. Price (Business Volunteer category).

The Prix Arts-Affaires de Montréal, an initiative of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal and the Conseil des arts de Montréal, recognize companies and individuals who have provided outstanding support to Montréal arts organizations and who are actively involved in culture. The awards raise awareness among the business community about the crucial role cultural organizations play in the city’s development and encourage partnerships between the business and arts communities.

“Culture is both the foundation of our collective identity and an indisputable source of wealth creation,” says Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. “Plus it makes a major contribution to our city’s reputation. I am thrilled with the jury’s choices. They testify to the significant impact that the long-term commitment of patrons and businesses can have on the exposure of arts and culture at home and abroad. I congratulate the 2011 winners, and I hope that many others will draw inspiration from them.”

“It is important to recognize the exemplary commitment of all of this year’s nominees for the Prix Arts-Affaires de Montréal,” says Louise Roy, President of the Conseil des arts de Montréal. “These caring businesspeople have built real partnerships and sincere connections with the artists and managers of the cultural organizations they support. This relationship is a mutually beneficial one, because the arts also have a lot to offer in terms of creativity, innovation and visibility, not to mention original, stimulating emotional experiences.”

“Thanks to the conviction and generosity of business people who lend their support to Montréal cultural organizations, our citizens enjoy a rich, diverse cultural scene,” says Helen Fotopulos, Executive Committee Member Responsible for Culture, Heritage, Design and the Status of Women for the Ville de Montréal. “I would like to offer my sincere thanks to those who, through their commitment, forge connections between the business and the arts worlds, contributing to Montréal’s image as a great cultural city. I encourage other businesses to draw inspiration from this dynamic relationship between the arts and business to further stimulate the arts and culture, which are part of the lifeblood of our city.”

The winners

Standard Life, sponsored by the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM), has won the award in the Large Enterprise category. For the past 20 years, Standard Life has been offering its staunch support to the OSM for the OSM Competition. Essential to the next generation of local musicians, this support is also formative for the OSM, which can affirm its role as a leader in and proud representative of the city’s cultural excellence on the national and international scene.