Gloria Estefan named celebrity c-chair of Miami GuitarTown project.

Gibson Guitar, presenter of Miami GuitarTown along with the city of Miami and Miami-Dade County, announced that GRAMMY Award winning singer/songwriter Gloria Estefan has been named Celebrity Co-Chairperson for the Miami GuitarTown project.  Estefan, one of the world’s best selling musical artists of all time with over 90 million albums sold and winner of seven GRAMMY Awards is known as one of the most successful crossover performers in Latin music to date.

An exemplary role model and artist, Miami based Estefan has received innumerable awards and distinctions including the American Music Award for Lifetime Achievement, BMI Song-Writer of the Year, induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and a host of MTV, VMA and Cable ACE awards. Most recently, The Latin Recording Academy honored Estefan as the 2008 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year at the 2008 Latin Grammys in recognition of her professional, musical and social accomplishments. Estefan is the first woman honored with the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year tribute. As Co-Chairperson of the Miami GuitarTown project presented by Gibson Guitar, Estefan will help raise funds for four Miami based charities and provide creative input to the project during its launch and gala event which will follow the citywide exhibit.  The project’s Steering Committee, comprised of leaders throughout the community in various business sectors, also announced the three charities who will serve as beneficiaries of Miami GuitarTown. The Miami GuitarTown project, which will give the city an extraordinary display of ten-foot Gibson guitar sculptures and regular size Epiphone  showcase guitars designed by visual artists, will end with a gala auction hosted by world renowned Juliens Auctions (www.juliensauctions.com) with all proceeds benefitting the local charities named. The three beneficiaries include:
The Miami Music & Art Fund, administered by the Dade Community Foundation, where grants will be made to talented young Miami students in need of financial assistance for the purchase of musical instruments and art supplies. The fund is designed to encourage all Miami-Dade County students to realize their artistic abilities. For more information please visit www.dadecommunityfoundation.org

Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation (MCHF) is a non-profit organization whose sole mission is to create awareness and generate funds for Miami Children’s Hospital (MCH), the only licensed specialty hospital in South Florida exclusively for children. The Foundation’s guiding principle is to ensure that all children have access to state-of-the-art pediatric care. MCH, a 289-bed freestanding facility, is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with several specialty programs ranked among the best in the nation in 2008 by U.S.News & World Report. MCH offers family-centered care and excellence in all aspects of pediatrics medicine.

The Art and Culture Center of Hollywood is committed to creating opportunities for all people to experience the visual and performing arts. To fulfill this mission, the Center interweaves exhibitions, performances, and educational programs that reflect the highest standards of artistry and diversity. We foster a creative environment where new and challenging work can thrive and flourish.  Our goal is to educate the community through innovative programs for children and adults, and enhance the quality of life by making the arts available to the broadest possible audience through free and affordable programs.

For more information at http://www.artandculturecenter.org>
 
The committee has also announced the visual artists chosen to take part in creatively painting the ten foot tall Gibson Guitar sculptures that will be displayed throughout the city of Miami in early 2009. The artists chosen for the showcase Epiphone guitars will be announced in three weeks. Visual artists were voted on after they submitted an official application and a design or pattern indicating their idea for the artwork to present on the guitar. The entries received were then anonymously presented to the Steering Committee and out of all entries the final 35 were chosen. Additional regular size Epiphone showcase guitars will also be painted by other Florida based visual artists. The Miami GuitarTown Visual Artists chosen to paint a ten foot tall Gibson Guitar sculpture are listed below:

1) Juan Rozas – Miami, FL
2) John Joseph – West Palm Beach, FL
3) Kathi Gibson – Miami, FL
4) Anita Wexler – Sarasota, FL
5) Tee Davis – Miami, FL
6) Cecilia Vallaro – Dania Beach, FL
7) Matt Argondizza – Miami, FL
8) Ronald C. Maggio, Jr. – Orlando, FL
9) Carlos A. Navarro – Coral Gables, FL
10) Jesus Villarreal – Miami, FL
11) Eva Ruiz – Miami, FL
12) David LeBatard – Miami, FL
13) Norman J. Gitzen, Jr. – Lake Worth, FL
14) David Alan Sincavage – Boca Raton, FL
15) Enrique Mastrapa – Miami, FL
16) Daniela Viotti – Miami, FL
17) Mark Weiser – Miami, FL
18) Trevor Wanless – Miami, FL
19) Alan Patricio Hughes – Miami, FL
20) Ray Corral – Miami, FL
21) Gregor Nussberger – Miami, FL
22) Omar Pitaluga – Miami, FL
23) Itagui Correa – Miami, FL
24) Robert Tabor – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
25) Karen Ballmann – Altamonte Springs, FL
26) Alex Yanes – Miami, FL
27) Alexander Guerra – Miami Beach, FL
28) Guillermo Piloto, Jr. – Hialeah, FL
29) Armando De Jesus Dominguez – Miami, FL
30) Amanda Dunbar – Miami, FL
31) Jorge R. Calderon – Miami, FL
32) Gustavo Balmelli – Miami, FL
33) Gianna M. DiBartolomeo – Miami, FL
34) Cesar Santalo – Miami, FL
35) John Goldacker – Merritt Island, FL

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 mi*************@gi****.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 sculpture or guitar. 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.

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

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