If one takes from their community, they are morally and ethically bound to return with the same vigor.  If we know our history and understand it, then we can put our life in perspective.  We can understand ourselves, our people, our goals and values.  We will know the direction of our lives, what we want to accomplish with our lives and what we are willing to bear in order to fulfill our destiny.  Nietzsche put it well, “If you have a why to live for, you can bear any how.”  

-Mark Ginsberg, Plato and Nietzsche.

As an art dealer and the owner of two jewelry galleries in Iowa, my goal is to create something more than a profitable business dedicated to the bottom line. Soon after buying my father's jewelry store in 1985, I established the M. C Ginsberg Fund to better serve the arts community in Iowa City through free exhibitions, public lectures, artist's workshops and community arts events. I co-founded the annual Iowa City Jazz Festival with Steve Grismore and served as executive producer from 1990 1997. Now in its sixteenth year, this three day event attracts over tens of thousands from all over the country and is considered by the international jazz community to be one of the finest jazz venues in the US today.

Other community programs involving M.C. Ginsberg's participation or sponsorship (past and present) include: The Perspective Series, a weekly venue of art and music programs in partnership with the University of Iowa and the University Museum of Art; Hancher Outreach Program, providing at risk children access to theatrical tours and free performances; the M. C. Ginsberg Community Arts Partnership, an annual "Artist's In Residence" community program whose partners include the Chamber of Commerce and the Community School District; and the free Friday Music Concerts, on going since 1987,  the Iowa City Gallery Walks ongoing and growing since 1988, serving as a charter board member  to the Iowa City Community Cultural Incubator, instrumental in creating the initial task force to save the Englert and continues to explore new approaches to arts education with the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art.  As a guest lecturer at the University of Iowa's graduate level Entrepreneurial Program and Art and Art History’s Metalsmithing Program, Mark volunteers as a sounding board for new ideas while creating opportunities for student intern positions with his galleries. In addition, a percentage of gallery sales are contributed to a scholarship fund established for metal arts students at the University of Iowa. Additions to the above programming are the Saturday Night Movie Series on the Univ. of Iowa campus and the consolidation of  the Iowa City Jazz Festival, The Iowa City Arts Festival, The Friday Night Concert Series and the Saturday  Night Movie Series.  Similarly, M.C. Ginsberg's outreach in the Greater Des Moines area includes sponsorship of the Des Moines Art Center's Friday "Art After Hours" program and as well as the annual Des Moines Symphony fundraising campaign.

My goals is to initiate not only new cultural programming but also hoping to inspire other businesses, large and small, to follow this lead, M.C. Ginsberg's spans more than two decades of committed activism in the arts. Celebrating the arts in Iowa is enrichment for the whole community and one that I have made my life's pursuit from both locations in the state.