By Etain Connor and Laura Bruney

Attorney Daniel Novela cannot point to one moment that cemented his interest in the arts. It was a natural and gradual process.  When he and his wife joined a young professionals group for the Perez Art Museum of Miami (formerly Miami Art Museum). It was to attend creative social events and meet interesting people.  Over time they fell in love with the Museum and became avid connoisseurs of the cultural community. Similar to his interest in the arts, it was a natural progression for him to share his new passion with his colleagues and clients.  His firm, Novela Law supports the PAMM’s annual Corporate Luncheon and he has grown from a member of the host committee to the event co-chair. He is also a founding member of PAMM’s Young Collector’s Council.   Daniel recently appointed by the Mayor of Miami Beach to the Miami Beach Cultural Arts Council, which oversees funding and grants for dozens of organizations on Miami Beach.

A South Florida native, he earned his bachelor’s degree in business from Florida International University and law degree with honors from Tulane University. Before founding his own firm, Daniel practiced law at some of the nation’s premier law firms.

ABC – What do you think makes a vibrant community and what role do the arts play? DN – The arts are at the heart of all energetic and exciting cities. Miami used to have a reputation solely for sun, fun and beaches but that has changed.  Art Basel played a big role in our evolution into a dynamic destination for the arts.  Miami is the epicenter of the global arts world for one week each December. The fair has helped evolve our creative community year round by providing amazing cultural experiences at museums, galleries and fairs for residents and visitors.  Art Basel provided the spark that brought together artists, collectors and business professionals. This has led to the development of areas like the Wynwood Arts District and supported the development of new galleries and programs.  Miami always had culture but now  that culture is visible on a global scale.

ABC – Why do you think it’s important for corporations to support the arts? DN – The arts are a catalyst for change.  I am a history buff and studied in Florence as part of my college experience.  I found it fascinating that throughout history, whenever there is a transformational era in the arts, it’s due to a great benefactor.  I think about benefactors like the Medici’s that brought Europe out of the Dark Ages and into the Renaissance, without their support of the arts, it never would have happened.  We are lucky to have benefactors in this community that support arts organizations large and small. Historically private and public benefactors have been supportive because the arts and artists transform societies.

Law firms want their partners and associates to become involved in their community. They want them to be leaders and to serve on non-profit boards.  It provides firms with the opportunity to showcase their investment in the community and provides great opportunities for business development and outreach.

ABC – Tell us about one of your great partnerships with the arts? DN – Several years ago, my wife and I were looking for an arts organization to get involved with so we joined Miami Art Museum Contemporaries.  The young professionals group gave us the opportunity, for a small investment, to explore the cultural community and meet other business people that love the arts.  We enjoyed the experience so much that my wife was asked to chair their Contemporaries group and later invited to joint the board and my firm became a sponsor of the PAMM.  When the Perez Art Museum opens the doors to its spectacular new museum this December, we will be one of hundreds of business and community leaders that helped make this a reality.  I am proud to be involved in something this transformative and important for our community.

ABC – Aside from your great relationship with the Perez Art Museum, what other organizations have you and your firm partnered with? DN – Since becoming actively involved with PAMM, I also support other museums including the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami, the Wolfsonian-FIU and the Bass Museum and have grown into art collectors.  As a board member for the Miami Beach Cultural Arts Council I have learned a lot about the cultural community on the Beach and had the joy of learning about a range of performances, exhibits and events through our grants programs.

ABC – What else do you and your firm receive from your partnerships with the arts? DN – Through my community involvement, I meet a lot of interesting and important people that may become clients or refer business to us. My firm gets visibility. In addition to the personal satisfaction and experience my involvement has also provided me with relationships with some of the important movers and shakers in our community. These relationships are priceless. More important, however, is the opportunity to support, strengthen and enhance organizations that I have a personal and emotional connection with.

My firm sends out a newsletter. What sets us apart from the hundreds of corporate newsletters? Each issue features an arts program or event.  Not only does it provide a platform for us to showcase something we care about but it also makes our newsletter more interesting and entertaining.   To me this is a real win-win partnership – the arts group or artists get visibility in front of a new audience and it gets more people reading our newsletter.

ABC – What inspires businesses to partner with the arts? DN – Business professionals and companies get involved in projects or programs that speak to them. Ideally groups should approach professionals that have attended a performance, visited their museum or attended a special event.  If they loved their first experience it gives the group a great platform to build a relationship.  Business rarely responds to a mass sponsor appeal especially if they don’t already have a relationship with or know the organization.

At Novela Law, we want people to see our logo associated with arts events and programs and to recognize that we are involved in the community.  While the visual recognition is important to us, the intangible benefits like strengthening the arts, providing leadership and service matter more to our firm. It isn’t a priority for our firm to quantify our donations by how much business it brings in. Small business and boutique firms are more likely to value the personal connection.

Larger companies, especially during the economic crisis, began to associate their contributions with marketing and wanted to see measureable results as part of their sponsorship and involvement.  While it is hard to quantify the tangible and intangible benefits of arts sponsorships, my firm is more likely to look at our contribution as an investment in something that we are passionate about and that matters to us.

ABC – Is there any opportunity for smaller arts groups to get your attention? How? DN – It is essential for arts executives and their boards to make a connection with the companies they want to do business with.  Start by talking to the owners of neighborhood restaurants and shops that you frequent and educate them about your organization; or invite some small businesses owners to your performances or events.  As long as there is a mutual interest, the conversation for support will come naturally.

About the Arts Biz Dialogue The Arts & Business Council of Miami has developed a new blog to focus on corporate leaders that support the arts. The interactive exchange of ideas will provide us with insight on successful corporate partnerships. Each conversation will be featured on our ArtsBizBlog. Stay tuned for more interesting interviews and get the inside scoop on why some of South Florida’s top corporate leaders collaborate with the arts. For information on the Arts & Business Council and to see past blog entries visit www.ArtsBizMiami.org or call us at 305-326-1011.