Million Dollar Bell Atlantic Grant Opens Doors To Picasso For New Audiences

Million Dollar Bell Atlantic Grant

Opens Doors To Picasso For New Audiences

Exhibition at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston First

Sponsorship for Bell Atlantic Foundation in New England

September 3, 1997

BOSTON -- Bell Atlantic, the sponsor of Picasso: The Early

Years, 1892-1906, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is

providing a $1 million grant in support of the exhibition

and for a series of outreach and educational programs at

the museum for students and adults.

The exhibition, which consists of more than 150 of Picasso's

early works, opens to the public, Sept. 10. The sponsorship

marks the first philanthropic endeavor in New England by

Bell Atlantic, the company formed last month by the merger

of Bell Atlantic and NYNEX.

"It is significant that Bell Atlantic's first cultural

involvement after joining forces with NYNEX would be such

an important and interesting exhibition of Picasso's early

works," said Wayne Budd, senior vice president of Bell

Atlantic.

"Throughout both corporations' history, our philanthropic

goal has been to enrich the lives of our customers through

support of the arts, education, health and human services

and community involvement. We are committed, through these

worthwhile efforts, to being involved with the communities

we serve."

Through a special educational outreach effort created in

conjunction with the museum, Bell Atlantic will make the

exhibition accessible to 14,000 middle and high school age

students. These school group tours will kindle and inspire

the creativity that sparks new achievements in a person's

life.

"Bell Atlantic wants to impress on young minds the beauty

and imagination within us all," said Suzanne DuBose, president

of the new Bell Atlantic Foundation. "Whether it be in the

arts, engineering, design or communications, today's youth

will contribute to our future in some way. We hope their

creativity will be ignited by their exposure to the genius

of Picasso."

Bell Atlantic has also helped to make possible the first

audio taped tour in Spanish at the Museum of Fine Arts,

Boston -- opening doors for new audiences to have a deeper

appreciation and understanding of Picasso's innovative

techniques.

Bell Atlantic sponsorship of cultural events often leads

to additional benefits for arts groups. Along with traditional

support, Bell Atlantic encourages arts organizations to create

educational programs for children and to enhance access to

these programs by using and incorporating new technology such

as the Internet. In addition to the special outreach program

for students in public schools and the Spanish-language audio

tour, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston has created an expanded

web site for the Picasso exhibition at www.mfa.org.

Bell Atlantic supports a variety of art groups throughout

its service territory through special grants and corporate

memberships. In addition, many of the company's officers

serve as members of the organizations' boards. These

organizations range from large institutions, such as the

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, to smaller community-based

organizations.

The exhibition, Picasso: The Early Years, 1892-1906,

which premiered at the National Gallery of Art, March 30

through July 27, was also sponsored by Bell Atlantic.

As a result of the recent merger of the two companies,

the Bell Atlantic Foundation and the NYNEX Foundation have

also merged. All grant programs previously operated under

the NYNEX banner are now part of the Bell Atlantic Foundation.

The Bell Atlantic Foundation administers all domestic and

international philanthropic grants on behalf of Bell Atlantic.

The Foundation's philanthropic emphasis is on providing safe

havens for youth and grants to technology and education, arts

and human services.

The new Bell Atlantic -- formed through the merger of Bell

Atlantic and NYNEX -- is at the forefront of the new

communications, information and entertainment industry. With

40 million telephone access lines and 5.5 million wireless

customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are premier

providers of advanced wireline voice and data services, market

leaders in wireless services and the world's largest publishers

of directory information. Bell Atlantic companies are also among

the world's largest investors in high-growth global communications

markets, with operations and investments in 21 countries.