‘Preserve & Protect : Challenge & Innovate’ will be hosted at XL Group’s Dublin office, located at the architecturally significant address 8 St Stephen’s Green.

XL Group the insurer/reinsurer whose Dublin office is located at the architecturally significant address 8 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin, has announced it is to host an exhibition of artwork entitled ‘Preserve & Protect: Challenge & Innovate’ from which it will also purchase a number of works created in and associated with Ireland.

No stranger to the arts world, XL Group insures some of the leading galleries, exhibitions and art collections around the world. It is calling on Irish artists and galleries to submit work for consideration to its panel of local experts.

A shortlist of approximately 15-20 works will be exhibited at 8 St Stephen’s Green during the last two weeks of May 2014 and a number of works will be purchased by the Group. The exhibition will be seen by XL Group staff, clients and wider stakeholders. Members of the public can view the exhibition by prior appointment during office hours.

The submission process, exhibition and purchase of works is being supported and managed by Business to Arts.

Andrew Hetherington, Project Director of Business to Arts said: “ Following an extended period when the Irish art market has suffered both from a reduction in State and local funding, along with a significant reduction in the resources of collectors, we’re seeing a renewed interest and corporates are beginning to invest once again in purchasing art. XL Group is leading the way with their open submission exhibition from which the staff will be involved in selecting work they love for the company to own.”

The selection panel for the exhibition includes local art experts Sean Kissane, Curator, Exhibitions, Irish Museum of Modern Art and Rayne Booth, Programme Curator, Temple Bar Gallery & Studios. Also joining the panel is XL Group’s Jennifer Schipf, Vice President of Fine Art & Specie.

For more details and submission forms go to http://xlgroup.com/exhibition2014

At the Call for Applications for the Allianz Business to Arts Awards at Fighting Words were Brendan Murphy, Allianz Ireland; Sean Love, Fighting Words; Stuart McLaughlin, Business to Arts; with students from St Fiachra’s JNS Beaumont.

The Allianz Business to Arts Awards recognise businesses, artists and arts organisations that develop creative partnerships, bringing the arts and artists into mutually beneficial relationships across society.

We invite you to share the stories of your successful partnerships with your peers, to demonstrate your pride in what you have achieved and to seek to join the prestigious list of winners which represent the very best models developed between the corporate and cultural worlds in Ireland.

As well as arts sponsorship, the Awards recognise examples of arts and business organisations working together in other areas such as mentoring, training, staff engagement or development, commissioning artists, CSR initiatives, community engagements etc.

1. Best Large Sponsorship (value over €25,000 cash or in-kind)
2. Best Small Sponsorship (value under €25,000 cash or in-kind)
3. Best Long Term Partnership (3 years or more)
4. Best Use of Creativity in the Community
5. Best Creative Staff Engagement
6. Jim McNaughton Perpetual Award for Best Commissioning Practice
7. Jim McNaughton/TileStyle €10,000 Bursary for Commissioned Artists
8. Dublin Airport Authority €5,000 Arts Award
9. Judges’ Special Recognition

Full details available at www.businesstoarts.ie/awards