June 15, 2012Dear Sir,On the eve of the Bermuda National Gallery's Biennial 2012 of Contemporary Bermuda Art, sponsored by Bacardi Ltd, I write to highlight the benefits to our community of a collaboration of the local arts and businesses; and to provide examples of how art can assist the current economy.The benefits of the arts are many. The arts do much for society and business. Art can facilitate, as in the case with Bacardi being the sponsor of the BNG Biennial, a company’s involvement with the community. Celebrating the arts is a means for companies to build a powerful presence and engage with multiple stakeholders in the community.Creativity is among the top applied skills sought by employers in today’s world. Some of the world’s top business leaders say that creativity is of high importance when hiring. According to “The Partnership Movement” 72 percent of companies that give to the arts recognise that it stimulates creative thinking, problem solving and team building. Art fosters critical thinking.Premier Paula Cox quoted first Lady Michelle Obama in her Throne Speech 2011: “It is through our music, our literature, our art, drama and dance that we tell the story of our past and we express our hopes for the future. Our artists challenge our assumptions in ways that many cannot and do not. They expand our understandings and push us to view our world in new and very unexpected ways.”The Arts create an environment that blends backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures. The Arts are essential to the health and vitality of our communities, our education system and our country. The Arts enhance community development; can create jobs; spur urban renewal; attract new businesses; draw tourism dollars; and create an environment that attracts creative, innovative and skilled workers.Economist Milton Friedman said: “The world of the 21st century is a world of international markets interconnecting people everywhere — people who have never met, yet inadvertently have become integral to each other's well being. Every minute of every day products from all over the world are moving in perpetual motion.”And this is the beauty of the Arts, it communicates and connects universally. It has the power to bridge gaps and bring us together. We are all interconnected — tourism is benefited by Bermuda's art galleries and visual art performances and entertainment. Bermuda benefits from the revenue and income tourism. Employees thrive in a vibrant working environment and community, which is fostered by an appreciation and embrace of the Arts. Employers benefit from increased productivity from content workers. It’s a formula that works!This summer, I’m partnering with the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation, Chewstick and various stakeholders to expand on the Biennial 2012 with an art show, “Tyrell’s B-Side”. Tyrell's B-Side Show invites artists to exhibit their work which was not selected for the Biennial 2012. The objectives of this show are to revitalise the EEZ and to provide a medium to celebrate exciting and innovative art. The immediate accessibility of Tyrell’s B-side will bring art closer to members of the community who may have never set foot in our art galleries in City Hall. Tyrell’s B-Side Show will foster an interconnection of our communities.MANUEL PALACIOCity of Hamilton