Investing in the Arts One Pie at a Time
For more than five decades, Allied Arts has played a vital role in strengthening Oklahoma’s arts programs. Through funding and advocacy, the organization supports over 45 local arts and cultural nonprofits, helping make creative experiences accessible to more than one million people each year.
REES is proud to participate in Allied Arts’ Campaign for Arts effort each year, aligning our values around creativity, connection and community with an organization that embodies those same principles.
REES’ annual Allied Arts Workplace giving campaign is a two-fold opportunity: to raise funds, but also to create space for conversation and learning around the role the arts play in our community.
This year, REES incorporated a sweet way to give back.
A Hands On Approach to Giving
REES hosted “Pie A PM”. Employees took turns donating money for their chance to pie their project manager. It was fun, and it was messy. On top of that, the team hosted a bake-off pie tasting dubbed “The Great REES Bake Off – Pie Week”, so there were a variety of opportunities for people to participate. By the end of the event, laughter filled the space as volunteers stepped up, slices were passed and coworkers cheered each other on. Nothing brings people together quite like the arts and dessert!
Strengthening Communities through the Arts
This year, REES’ involvement in Allied Arts extended beyond our internal campaign. Senior Vice President and Director of Design Farooq Karim is serving as co-chair of the Campaign for the Arts, rallying businesses and leaders in support of the arts across Oklahoma.
Farooq sees REES’ participation in the arts as a natural extension of who we are as a firm. “We’re interacting with art all day, every day. We live in it, we work in it and we’re solving problems constantly through it,” said Farooq. “When people think about the arts, they often jump to a concert or a museum, but they don’t always think about the many small arts-related nonprofits doing meaningful work in our communities every day.” Through Allied Arts, we contribute to a cultural infrastructure that supports creativity, learning and connection—values that are fundamental to the work we do.
As designers, planners and problem solvers, we understand the power of creative expression to shape communities. REES’ involvement with Allied Arts reflects our belief that the arts help build stronger, more vibrant places.