What Does a Veterinarian Have To Do With the Arts?

By Dr. Tristan Weinkle
South Carolina Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Care
March 28, 2014

Each year, this innovative veterinary practice sponsors the Columbia Open Studios tour, which features a wide array of Midlands artists in a weekend long, free, self-led driving tour. Presented by 701 Center for Contemporary Art, the tour will be held Saturday and Sunday April 5 – 6, 2014. Learn more at www.columbiaopenstudios.org.

As a 4-year sponsor of Columbia Open Studios, people always ask me why our business, South Carolina Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Care (SCVSEC), sponsors 701 Center for Contemporary Art’s annual non-profit art event. The two have nothing to do with each other, right?

Wrong. Let me tell you why it’s important to us to sponsor Columbia Open Studios, and why I think it’s important that other companies give back, too.

1. Corporate Citizenship.

When businesses sponsor events, programs and other citywide efforts, we are giving back to our community and being good corporate citizens.  SCVSEC, just like countless businesses in the area, has benefited from the growth in the Columbia area.  I feel that it is our responsibility to return the favor.  Great community events and initiatives that may otherwise be too expensive for a non-profit to produce become possible with a boost from corporate donors.  

2. Giving back to the arts means making Columbia greater.

Along with many other organizations, SCVSEC is in this for the greater good. We want Columbia to be a cultural destination for the region and a target city for everyone looking for a high quality of life. Giving back to the arts increases our collective standard of living, cultural diversity and recreational opportunities.

3. Branching out.

All of the employees of SCVSEC love living in and being a part of Columbia.  This is our home.  That means getting involved in and giving back to areas of city life in which we may not normally participate as part of our day-to-day.  The arts is just one example. 

4. Networking.

Sponsoring an event like 701 CCA’s Columbia Open Studios opens our doors to Columbia’s fellow cheerleaders, activists and movers & shakers. The networking opportunities when sponsoring cultural events and causes are well worth any sponsorship donations your business may give.

5. Sponsor what you’re passionate about.

I come from a family of artists and art collectors.  Performing and visual arts make up a framework for my earliest memories.  My kids have grown up knowing that art is one of the basic necessities of life, along with food, water, and shelter.  The joy that it brings to our lives in immeasurable.  Indeed, a vibrant and active arts community is one of the basic foundations for a vibrant and active broader community.  It is for these reasons, and so many more that I am proud that South Carolina Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Care sponsors Columbia Open Studios year after year.

Dr. Tristan Weinkle, DVM, DACVIM (Small Animal Internal Medicine) joined South Carolina Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Care in 2003, becoming a partner in 2005, after completing undergraduate and veterinary degrees at Cornell University. He has spoken on international levels and is published in veterinary medicine, virology and wildlife medicine. In his spare time, Dr. Weinkle enjoys biking, gardening and hiking and spending time with his wife, two daughters and several pets in their home of Columbia, S.C.