Miami, FL—February 26, 2009—Gibson Guitar, presenter of Miami GuitarTown along with the city of Miami and Miami-Dade County, is proud to release an exclusive sneak peak of two new ten-foot tall Gibson guitar sculptures, “La Juana”, designed by Miami-based painter and front man of 2009 Grammy Nominee Locos Por Juana, Itagui, and “Lady of the Dolphins”, designed by Miami-based multimedia artist and painter Juan Manuel Rozas. 

Itagui, front man of 2009 Grammy Nominee Locos Por Juana, puts the finishing touches on his Miami GuitarTown ten-foot tall Gibson guitar sculpture “La Juana”. “I called it “La Juana” because it synthesizes the essence and soul of Locos Por Juana. The red background is a reflection of the passion and fervor released in our music. The faces of me and my bandmates were painted next to the planet Earth as a symbol of our determination to reach the whole world with our message of unity”, Itagui said.

Juan Manuel Rozas has been working diligently on his Miami GuitarTown ten-foot tall Gibson guitar sculpture “Lady of the Dolphins” in his Miami based studio. “This guitar is inspired by an ancient story of two wild creatures fighting for survival. One is the complement of the other; each creature is implied in the other like a true antithesis. The battle itself represents a challenge for knowledge and continuous learning. The story was a true inspiration back when I started doing music and this was a unique opportunity to capture it in a distinctive format”, Rozas said.

Both “La Juana” and  “Lady of the Dolphins” will be part of the Miami GuitarTown’s exceptional display of ten-foot Gibson guitar sculptures and a series of showcase regular size Epiphone guitars artistically designed and painted by local and nationally acclaimed visual artists.  Once completed, all of the guitars will be placed throughout Miami in front of city landmarks, sponsor locations and other popular destinations. All proceeds from the auction will go to benefit three local charities: The Miami Music & Art Fund, Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation, and The Art and Culture Center of Hollywood.

Individuals, organizations or corporations interested in sponsoring a Miami GuitarTown sculpture or guitar can contact the organizers by calling (305) 573-3523 or by emailing miamiguitartown@gibson.com. All sponsor benefits and levels are outlined on the official website or can be customized to suit a sponsor's interests and requirements. Each sculpture will be sponsored and corporate partners have the ability to help decide on the location of the guitars. The concept will have a huge impact in the community and provide enormous publicity and promotion for the popular City of Miami, as well as provide another interesting opportunity to attract tourists from around the world.

About the artist Itagui:

Itagui is the singer and front man for “Miami’s Best Latin Band” (Miami New Times) Locos Por Juana. Most recently, Locos Por Juana’s album “La Verdad” received a 2009 Grammy nomination for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album. With a multi-national lineup that creates the perfect urban-alternative musical representation of Miami as an epicenter for the cultural fusion of our hemisphere, Locos Por Juana's style of life integrates a philosophy of "One Sound", a true reflection of the combination of a myriad of worldly influences. This is the spirit Itagui captures in his painting and in his stunning Gibson guitar sculpture “La Juana”.   

About the artist Juan Manuel Rozas:

According to Argentine graphic designer, illustrator, multimedia artist and painter Juan Manuel Rozas, “painting is a God given gift which I opened my heart for”. After a successful career in the music industry - he fronted the rock band Tereso, worked as a producer for MTV Latin America and set designer for superstars Ricky Martin, Shakira and Gloria Estefan, to name a few- Rozas started to focus on his artistic career in 2008 with extraordinary results. Some of his clients include American Films Works, Mouse Media, Ashrana Inc., Funktional Interiors and X-treme Café, to name a few. Rozas has also collaborated extensively with “Arte Del Barrio”, a cultural cooperative group of well-known Miami-based artists geared to enhance creativity and the artistic education of the community.

For more information please visit http://www.miamiguitartown.com/  or http://www.gibsonfoundation.org/