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Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau
Kimberly Schmitz
MTCVB Director of Communications & PR
kschmitz@visitTucson.org
800.638.8350
MTCVB Installs Directional Art Around TCC
Local Artist's Work is Beautiful and Functional Addition to Downtown
TUCSON, Ariz. (June 30, 2009) - The Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau (MTCVB) invites local media, arts community, and community stakeholders the unveiling and discussion of new, directional public art pieces surrounding the Tucson Convention Center (TCC) downtown.
Please join the Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Tucson Pima Arts Council for the unveiling of the new, directional art sculptures on Thursday, July 2, at 2:30 p.m. at the Tucson Convention Center in the meeting room lobby just behind the box office.
About the Project
In October, 2008 MTCVB VP of sales and marketing, Rick Vaughan and director of marketing Toby Parks met with TPAC executive director Roberto Bedoya and public arts projects director Mary Ellen Wooten propose a partnership to commission an artist to create beautiful and functional art sculptures that direct and welcome visitors to conventions and events at the TCC. After artist presentations and judging, MTCVB and TPAC's Public Art Community Design Committee selected Alex Heveri's sculpture to represent Tucson's unique character.
Just eight months since the project's inception, the iconic 14-foot tall metal sculptures incorporating solar-powered lighting will be installed in ten locations to welcome and direct convention and event attendees to the TCC and Tucson.
About the artist
Alex Heveri is a talented, energetic, and truly gifted local artist (who also happens to be a successful criminal public-defense attorney). Heveri works primarily with steel and glass. She prefers steel as a medium because it provides a solid base and frame for the lighted feature of her sculptures. She admits that she is fascinated by the way it can be welded into almost any shape. Heveri states that her desire to light her sculptures stems from "a human primal desire to gravitate and be mesmerized by light. My intention of a light source is to draw the viewer inside". She has been publicly showing her sculptures since 1999. He work is in numerous private collections as well as public locations such as Plaza Colonial, Gadabout Salon (River & Sunrise and Swan & Ft. Lowell locations) and Sam Hughes Place.
Alex Heveri; Rick Vaughan, MTCVB VP of sales & marketing; Roberto Bedoya, TPAC executive director; and Tucson Vice-Mayor Regina Romero will be available for comment and interview at the conference.
The MTCVB is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the Tucson area as a convention, visitor and film production destination. It is financially supported by the City of Tucson, Pima County, the Town of Oro Valley and its nearly 800 individual and business members.
Visit the MTCVB website at http://www.visittucson.org/ or call 1.800.638.8350 for further information.
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