Cleveland, OH—August 27, 2009—Cleveland Rocks!, presented by Gibson and Epiphone Guitar has announced the names of the first tier of 25 visual artists selected to take part in the public arts project to benefit local charities. Each artist selected will be given the opportunity to paint one of the playable Epiphone guitars which will later be displayed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and have the chance to be paired with one of the many legendary musicians who have also lent their support. These guitars, once completed, will be part of the first installment of guitars that will be exhibited at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and auctioned off in a gala event to benefit local non-profits. In response to continued interest from the local arts community, Cleveland Rocks! will continue to accept artwork applications to be considered for the project through Monday, September 28th. Details are below.
A host of popular bands and legendary musicians had supported the Cleveland Rocks! project by signing one of the guitars to be used in the project. From legendary Lynryrd Skynrd to hot new act Lil Wayne, these autographs will remain prominent within the designs developed by the visual artists on the final art piece. Other supporters include Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, American Idols, Sugar Ray, Ryan Cabrera, and bands from the Warped Tour. There are a host of others which will be added to the project throughout September.
The first twenty-five visual artists chosen to paint an Epiphone Les Paul guitar for Cleveland Rocks! are listed below:
George E. Kocar - Bay Village, OH
Lindsay Adams - Warren, OH
Jim Hern - Pickerington, OH
Beth Gregerson - Willoughby, OH
Neal E Hamilton - Shaker Heights, OH
Debbie Apple Presser - Cleveland Heights, OH
Billy Nainiger - Cleveland, OH
Sylvia Masek - Lakewood, OH
Steve Schimoler - Cleveland, OH
Dale and Jennifer Simmons - South Euclid, OH
Kathy Morris Bakhshi - Brecksville, OH
Lauryn Gintert - Newton Falls, OH
Sunia Boneham - Cleveland, OH
Judy Kean - Avon Lake, OH
Jerry Keller - Cleveland, OH
Cortney Cinamin Kilbury - Lakewood, OH
Tina Grimm - Rittman, OH
Grace Summanen - Euclid, OH
Jose O Vasquez - Lakewood, OH
Ellen Mullarkey - Bay Village, OH
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.
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.
For more information on Cleveland Rocks or to download an artist application, please visit http://ClevelandRocks.Epiphone.com or www.gibson.com
Contacts:
Caroline Galloway, Gibson Guitar & Epiphone, 615-423-4904, caroline.galloway@gibson.com
Cie Hoover, Gibson Guitar & Epiphone, 615-260-8835, cie.hoover@gibson.com