Firms Honored for Arts Charity

NEWPORT BEACH — Thirteen Orange County firms were honored here Sunday night for “outstanding and innovative support of the arts” by the Orange County Business Committee for the Arts. Also cited was South Coast Repertory, which won a $1,000 grant, for forming support ties with local businesses.

The business committee, founded in 1981 to encourage business support of the arts, has awarded 85 Business in the Arts Awards for firms’ support of the arts ranging from cash contributions to hours of volunteer services.

Nine firms honored Sunday were previous award winners: the Irvine Co., C. J. Segerstrom & Sons, Fluor Corp./Fluor Daniel, The Times Orange County Edition, KPMG Peat Marwick, First Interstate Bank, Pacific Bell/Pacific Telesis, Security Pacific Corp., and Pacific Mutual Life Insurance.

First-time winners, all of which made either financial, or in-kind contributions to the arts, were Five Feet Restaurant, Tiffany & Co., Trammell Crow Co./Winthrop Financial Associates and Ford Motor Co.

The grant accompanying South Coast Repertory’s Arts Award for “outstanding leadership in forging business partnerships” was underwritten by Marsh & McLennan Inc.

The ceremony was at Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Co.’s home office in Newport Beach.