Mary Louise Batt built her career at Procter & Gamble in research and development in an era when engineering and science was largely a man’s world.
Over the years, she sought out women navigating the same terrain and the bonds she formed with them endured long past retirement.
Those friendships ultimately drew her closer to the arts. A longtime supporter of the annual Community Campaign, Mary Louise deepened her involvement through ArtsWave’s Women’s Leadership Roundtable. Two of her P&G colleagues were among its early members, and at their suggestion she joined a circle of women leaders who share her conviction that the arts are essential to a thriving community.
A devoted admirer of visual art, and classical music, Mary Louise recognized a familiar imbalance in its history. Women have long championed artists and the institutions that sustain them, yet the role of creator has more often been limited by societal norms to men. Mary Louise resolved to help rewrite that story in the arts.
Through a current gift to the ArtsWave Endowment, Mary Louise established a named fund connected to the Power of Her. The fund will provide an annual grant that aims to improve the arts ecosystem for women by helping female creators be seen and heard. Making a current gift allows Mary Louise to see the impact of her giving during her lifetime. A separate estate gift will sustain her annual Community Campaign support in perpetuity.
Cincinnati has a proud tradition of women leading the way in arts philanthropy. Mary Louise is extending that tradition with a clear purpose: that the women and girls who follow her will not only fill the audience, but take the stage, hold the brush, and lead the orchestra.