Epiphone Guitar Announces the Launch of Cleveland Rocks

Press release
Source: Gibson Guitar

Epiphone Guitar has announced their support in the launch of Cleveland Rocks, a community arts project that celebrates the unique artistic excellence and diversity of the city of Cleveland. 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.

“We have launched similar projects in various cities over the past few years with great success. Cleveland has always been a city with rich traditions, diverse communities and an extraordinary amount of community support,” said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar, parent company of Epiphone. “We are very excited about hosting this public arts project and supporting the three organizations that will benefit while drawing national attention to one of the best cities in America.”

“Since Alan Freed hosted the first rock and roll concert here in Cleveland in 1952, this city has had a long, rich and storied musical heritage. By partnering with our great friends at Gibson, Epiphone, The Greater Cleveland Film Commission, and the Cleveland Music School Settlement, this program allows us to leverage the talents of the Cleveland arts community to support the award-winning educational programs here at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It also offers a unique opportunity to promote our history while at the same time providing support to our cultural assets,” said Terry Stewart, President and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

"I am very excited for this opportunity to work with Gibson and Epiphone Guitar to bring a unique fundraising event into Cleveland. We at the film commission look forward to working with the artists who will be painting guitars and the very deserving people at the Rock Hall and Cleveland Music School Settlement. Working with the local creative talent to bring fresh ideas from four great organizations together to benefit our great city is sure to bring major benefits in many ways, and we at the film commission are honored Gibson and Epiphone have chosen to work with us," said Ivan Schwarz, Executive Director of The Greater Cleveland Film Commission.

Once completed, the guitars will be exclusively exhibited at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in the Fall of 2009. 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 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Greater Cleveland Film Commission and the Cleveland Music School Settlement. The project is administered through the Gibson Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Gibson Guitar, which is dedicated to improving the quality of life through its support of the arts, education, health & welfare and environmental causes worldwide.

In the coming weeks Cleveland Rocks will announce its official “Call for Artists” and steering committee selections. The steering committee will be comprised of the "Who's Who" in the city of Cleveland. Along with Epiphone Guitar and the Gibson Foundation, the steering committee will help to determine what artwork makes its way onto one of these incredible guitars.

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. Each guitar will be sponsored and corporate partners have the ability to help decide on the design and artistry of the sculpture. 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, please visit ClevelandRocks.Epiphone.com.

About Epiphone:
Epiphone fretted instruments, amplifiers, strings and accessories are known worldwide for offering the best combination of quality, performance and value. One of Gibson’s most formidable competitors through the first half of the 20th century, Epiphone was acquired by Gibson Guitar in 1957. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, Epiphone is part of the Gibson family of brands. For more information on Epiphone go to www.epiphone.com.

About the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum:
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a nonprofit organization that exists to educate visitors, fans and scholars from around the world about the history and continuing significance of rock and roll music. It carries out this mission both through its operation of a world-class museum that collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets this art form and through its library and archives as well as its educational programs.

About the Greater Cleveland Film Commission:
The Greater Cleveland Film Commission works to achieve increased economic development in Northeast Ohio by using the artistic and culturally enriching activities of film and other media production to strengthen the workforce, support the media production industry and attract media production to the region. It promotes the increase of media production using effective strategies for attraction and workforce development including building an artistic infrastructure through film.

About The Cleveland Music School Settlement:
The mission of The Cleveland Music School Settlement is to enrich the lives of people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities by offering access to high quality music instruction, music therapy and early childhood education. The Music Settlement was founded in 1912 by Almeda Adams with the support of the Fortnightly Musical Club and several of Cleveland’s leading families. Programs beyond instruction in music include a nationally acclaimed Music Therapy program and one of the most popular Early Childhood Education programs in Cleveland. Altogether, The Music Settlement brings music and the arts into the lives of approximately 2,700 people on an annual basis.

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