Montecito Bank & Trust
Montecito Bank & Trust – City of Santa Barbara Arts Advisory Committee’s Business in Art Award
Montecito Bank & Trust donates over $1.3 million annually to hundreds of non-profits in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties through its Community Dividends and other giving programs. Explaining the motivation behind the Bank’s corporate philanthropy, late owner and founder Michael Towbes previously stated, “We do this because we recognize and support the invaluable role nonprofits play in enhancing the quality of life for all segments of our society. We do this because we think it’s the right thing to do.”
His passion and love of the arts is reflected in the Bank’s profound commitment to the arts. In 2016, Montecito Bank & Trust awarded more than $300,000 to locals arts organizations that included the Arts Fund, Center Stage Theatre, Ensemble Theatre Company, Lobero Theatre Foundation, Marjorie Luke Theatre, Music Academy of the West, Notes for Notes, Opera Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Ballet, Santa Barbara Center for Performing Arts, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara Symphony, among others. Montecito Bank & Trust continues to encourage a vibrant arts community, enriching, engaging and providing stewardship supporting Santa Barbara’s vibrancy as a cultural destination.
The Business in Art Award was established by the City Arts Advisory Committee in 2005. This award is given to an individual or entity that conducts business in the Santa Barbara area. It may include being a retail or commercial establishment, a sole practitioner, a partnership or a professional corporation: one that exhibits outstanding support of arts activity in our community in ways that create a stronger, more vibrant arts environment in Santa Barbara and enriches the lives of both residents and visitors.
