When does a painting or a concert have the power to enrich our lives? Only when we see or hear them. Can a sculpture speak to a young student about ancient cultures, or teach her something about life as we live it? Yes ... but only when she has the opportunity and the desire to confront it.

At NYNEX, we think the arts have the ability to educate, lift the human spirit, even bring us closer together. Our goal is to make them more accessible to children who don't normally have the chance or the means to make culture a significant part of their lives. Are you willing to help us?

• If your organization or program uses computer and communications technology to make art and culture more accessible, particularly to young people who are disadvantaged or disabled, we'd like to hear from you.

• If your organization has a strong commitment to educational outreach, i.e. helping schools "tie-in" to an exhibit, collection, or program, we'd be happy to talk with you.

• If your organization provides opportunities for company employees and their families to learn about the arts, music and literature, please drop us a line.

For example: This year, NYNEX is providing both technical and financial support to the Studio Museum in Harlem so it can put its permanent art collection on CD-ROM. Soon, students as far from Harlem as Bangor, Maine or Buffalo, New York will be able to use their classroom computers and the Internet to take a "guided walking tour" of the museum's collection.

Though only their fingers and their minds, will do the walking, students can learn about African American art from one of its greatest collections. And teachers will have access to a wealth of information and reference materials, all as close as the nearest computer and phone line. We call it "Technology for the Arts." The museum thinks it's a great way to promote their collection and provide students with a better understanding of cultures that may be different from their own. We happen to agree.

Last year, the Maine College of Art in Portland also "went digital." With help from NYNEX, northern New England's only professional college of art and design hooked up with a number of other college and university art programs by computer. Now, art students from across the state can attend a drawing class in Portland without actually having to go to Portland. Just another way NYNEX is helping people use technology to bring culture "closer to home."

How are jazz and ballet standing up to rap and hip-hop among young people in the inner city? Well, more and more kids are jamming to Wynton Marsalis on their headphones and maybe even trying a pas de deux, thanks in part to two unique programs sponsored by NYNEX.

Jazz at Lincoln Center has been putting the classic American musical form at the forefront of America's cultural consciousness through national performances on public television, educational programs and the preservation of old jazz recordings. Each year, Boston Ballet's Citydance targets 15,000 inner-city children, ages 8-18, with a program involving education, training and encouragement.

Both programs are geared toward expanding more than just knowledge. They also expand self esteem.