  | Fidelity Investments supports the arts at URI. | ||||||
Profiles in GivingBy Maria V. Caliri ’86, M.B.A. ’92 Fidelity Investments Sound Investments From late January through early March, art patrons flocked to the Fine Arts Center’s Main Gallery to view Contemporary Currents: Eccentric Landscape, an exhibit that featured unusual landscapes by 10 nationally recognized painters and sculptors. Curated by Judith Tolnick, director of the Fine Arts Galleries, this show was made possible through the generosity of its primary sponsor, Fidelity Investments, one of the world’s largest providers of financial services. Based in Boston, Fidelity maintains a site in Smithfield, R.I., and seven other regions throughout the country. The Smithfield office provided the funding for the spring exhibition series, including Landscape, as well as the Fidelity Prize, a cash award presented to the winner of the Annual Juried Student Exhibition (opening April 3). Seemingly, there is little correlation between the visual arts and investment management. Yet, a closer look at Fidelity reveals the artist within this financial services giant. With a corporate art collection that numbers more than 8,000 pieces worldwide, Fidelity has a long history of supporting local artists. At its Smithfield site alone, more than 300 original works of art by living New England artists adorn the 350-acre campus, and nearly 80 percent of the artists have a connection to Rhode Island. “I’ve been told that we have one of the largest collections of contemporary Rhode Island art in the state at our Smithfield campus,” says General Manager and Vice President of Public Affairs John Muggeridge. “The architecture, landscape, and artwork mesh together to provide an atmosphere that is both comfortable and stimulating for our 1,600 employees.” As a result of its appreciation of the arts and its focus on building a mutually beneficial partnership with the University, Fidelity is providing URI with the opportunity to offer first-class exhibitions. Without Fidelity’s generous support, Galleries Director Tolnick would face daunting financing challenges. Dean Winifred Brownell of the College of Arts and Sciences concurs with Tolnick’s expression of gratitude. “Although many companies have art works exhibited in their corporate offices, few take the extra step of Fidelity Investments by reaching out to the academic communities and supporting the next generation of artists. We are very proud to be associated with Fidelity Investments’ outreach efforts and applaud them for their generosity and wisdom.” Supporting the arts is only one component of Fidelity’s Regional College Relations Program, which was designed to build and enhance relationships with the firm’s higher education partners. According to Joseph Pratt, director of college relations at Fidelity Investments in Smithfield, the program leverages Fidelity’s multiple businesses to develop education-related initiatives in the areas of talent acquisition, public affairs, curriculum enhancement, and business development. — As communications manager for Citizens Bank, Maria Caliri ’86, M.B.A. ’92, is responsible for communicating to new customers joining the bank through acquisition. |
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