Sponsor Profile:  Applied Materials

By sponsoring last year's production of Tosca and this season's productions of A Masked Ball and La bohème, Applied Materials, Inc., has for the sixth consecutive year funded a mainstage production, thus demonstrating its position as a corporate leader in support of the arts in Santa Clara County.

"Applied Materials is committed to giving back to the communities where our employees live and work," stated Mike O'Farrell, vice president of global community affairs at Applied Materials.  "By supporting the arts in Silicon Valley we are contributing to an important part of a creative and vibrant society while strengthening common understanding among diverse communities."

Applied Materials sets a high standard in corporate philanthropy by assisting a variety of organizations and programs that are dedicated to benefiting the community and enhancing life in the valley.  Based on the company's core value of "making a positive social contribution," Applied Materials collaborates with nonprofit organizations to transform ideas into action.

While emphasizing innovation and partnerships, Applied Materials supports a wide range of arts and cultural programming  both in traditional large arts organizations and in smaller emerging groups.  Many of these programs target outreach and education efforts aimed at introducing young people to various forms of artistic expression.

For example, art education programs such as TheatreWorks for Schools, Triton Museum Family Days, and the San Jose Chamber Music Society were created to broaden student exposure to and involvement in the arts.  TheatreWorks for Schools offers in-school theater workshops for high school students to build their acting and language skills.  The San Jose Chamber Music Society's program was designed to increase elementary school children's interest in and appreciation of music.  And, Family Days at the Triton Museum engage young people and their parents in the hands-on creation of visual art.

To enrich the workplace and share cultures from around the world, the company created Art@Applied, which works with educational and cultural organizations from locations all over the globe to bring art exhibits to company sites worldwide.  One recent multimedia exhibit focused on a team of 14 employees who joined 500 others to climb Mt. Fuji in Japan in August 2000.  This international group of climbers raised $1 million for breast cancer research during the climb, which was documented by an award-winning photographer.

As a result of the company's outstanding vision, leadership, and development of arts partnerships such as the Art@Applied program, Forbes magazine awarded the company with the esteemed National Business in the Arts Award in 2002.  The company was the first organization in California to receive the award in nearly a decade and the first in Silicon Valley to receive the award in nearly 20 years.

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