Guitars to be Exhibited at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and
Auctioned Off to Benefit Local Charities

Cleveland, OH—September 21, 2009—Cleveland Rocks!, a public arts project presented by Epiphone Guitar offered this exclusive sneak preview of two of the artistically designed Epiphone Les Paul model guitars which will exhibit as part of the Cleveland Rocks! project at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.  The “G-Sharpie” titled guitar, designed by veteran Ohio production artist Jim Hern, and “Moondog”, designed by Cleveland based artist Kathy Morris Bakhshi, are only two of a total of 50 guitars which will complete this musically inspired art project featuring celebrity musicians and local visual artists. Once completed, all of the guitars will be auctioned off to raise funds for three local non-profit organizations: the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, and The Cleveland Music School Settlement. Each guitar will be a one of a kind playable Epiphone guitar at its completion.

Cleveland Rocks! visual artist Jim Hern puts the finishing touches on his guitar titled “G-Sharpie”. Jim has been an Ohio based artist for twenty-five years and was also selected to design another Cleveland Rocks! Epiphone Les Paul guitar that he has titled “Ticket To Rock”. Both guitars will be on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum during the month of October.

Kathy Morris Bakhshi has been working diligently on her Cleveland Rocks! Epiphone Les Paul guitar “Moondog” at her Cleveland studio. The guitar is inspired by Kathy’s love of nature and fascination with the idea of worlds other than the world that we know.

In response to continued interest from the local arts community, Cleveland Rocks! will continue to accept applications for a second tier of visual artists that will be selected for the program. Artwork selected for the second tier of the program will also be exhibited at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in the fall of 2009. Visual artists interested in submitting an application and artwork for Cleveland Rocks! should download the forms at http://ClevelandRocks.Epiphone.com. Visual artists may also pick up an application at the Greater Cleveland Film Commission located at 1301 E 9th Street, Suite 120 in downtown Cleveland between the hours of 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Monday—Friday. The deadline for completed  2nd tier applications is Monday, September 28, 2009 at 6:00pm EDT. Visual artists may submit more than one proposal. Information regarding applications, official rules and regulations and general information can also be obtained by calling the official Cleveland Rocks! hotline at 1-800-444-2766 ext. 2121 or by emailing clevelandrocks@epiphone.com. Once all applications are received by interested artists, the official steering committee will vote on the designs which will be part of the exciting exhibit and notify each artist. All visual artists chosen will also share in a worldwide publicity announcement. All participating visual artists will receive a gift certificate to help defray the cost for materials, inclusion in the Cleveland Rocks! catalog, invitation to the star-studded Cleveland Rocks! gala auction event and eligibility to be featured in large scale publicity campaigns.

Individuals, organizations or corporations interested in sponsoring a Cleveland Rocks guitar can contact the organizers by calling 1-800-444-2766 ext. 2121 or by emailing clevelandrocks@epiphone.com.  All sponsor benefits and levels are outlined on the official website or can be customized to suit a sponsor's interests and requirements. The concept will have a huge impact in the community and provide enormous publicity and promotion for the popular City of Cleveland, as well as provide another interesting opportunity to attract tourists from around the world.

For more information on Cleveland Rocks or to download an artist application, please visit http://ClevelandRocks.Epiphone.com or www.gibson.com    

About Jim Hern:
Jim Hern is from Pickerington, Ohio, and has been a production artist in Ohio for 25 years. Jim develops advertising campaigns for many retail clients and has explored fine arts as a hobby. Currently he works as video producer for People To My Site, a creative technology company specializing in internet strategies. He creates radio spots with character voice-overs and produces them on ProTools Audio Editing, and is also writes, shoots and edits spots for broadcast and web on Final Cut Pro HD editing systems. His artwork includes larger-than-life murals for community centers, sports teams and personal clients as well. Jim owns twelve guitars and loves Rock-n-Roll!

About Kathy Morris Bakhshi:
Kathy Morris Bakhshi is a Cleveland area artist with a BA in anthropology from Cleveland State University.  Kathy’s inspiration for her art is nature and a fascination with the idea of worlds other than the world that we know. Many of her art pieces are a reflective of her love to paint the night and the moon. During the day she takes care of her two little boys, and at night she paints. 

About Cleveland Rocks!:
Cleveland Rocks! is a community arts project that celebrates the unique artistic excellence and diversity of the city of Cleveland supported by Epiphone Guitar and parent company Gibson Guitar. Featuring Epiphone Les Paul guitars that are to be artistically designed by Ohio based visual artists and celebrities, this project will serve as an artistic reminder and display of Cleveland’s lush musical heritage and unwavering commitment to music that Rocks!  Cleveland is the home of rock-n-roll, given the distinction of being the city which originally coined the phrase by Alan Freed. Once completed, the guitars will be exclusively exhibited at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, and subsequently auctioned off to raise funds for three local non-profit organizations: the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, and The Cleveland Music School Settlement. 

A gala auction event conducted by world-renowned Julien’s Auctions will be held at the conclusion of the exhibit with all proceeds benefitting the non-profits. The project is administered through the Gibson Foundation.  Hi-res versions of photos attached available upon request.

Contacts:         
Caroline Galloway, Gibson Guitar & Epiphone, 615-423-4904  caroline.galloway@gibson.com