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For Immediate Release

06/02/2006

Contact:
Virginia Anagnos
Goodman Media International for Americans for the Arts
212.576.2700 office


Americans for the Arts Presents the 2006 Public Art Network Award to Mark di Suvero

Milwaukee, WI—June 2, 2006—Americans for the Arts today presented the 2006 Public Art Network (PAN) Award to Mark di Suvero at its annual meeting held in Milwaukee, WI. The Public Art Network Award was created to recognize and honor innovative and creative contributions and commitment in the field of public art.

"Mark di Suvero helped define the field of contemporary public art," said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. "He is an accomplished artist and an exemplary leader in community arts, creating ongoing model programs that bring art and artists into communities. His innovation and dedication have been imprinted on a second generation of art programs."

Mark di Suvero is one of the most important American artists to emerge from the Abstract Expressionist era. His sculptures have been exhibited in city-wide exhibitions in Paris, France; Venice, Italy; New York City, USA; Stuttgart, Germany; and Nice and Valence, France. He was the first living artist to be shown in Le Jardin des Tuileries in Paris. His sculpture, The Calling, is adjacent to the entrance to the Calatrava addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum.

A key figure in the development of postwar American sculpture, di Suvero constructs his monumentally scaled sculptures primarily from industrial I-beams that are welded or bolted together. Often the size of small buildings, his work is not exhibited in traditional museums or gallery settings. The areas where di Suvero's sculptures are on view were created specifically for these works.

The Public Art Network, a program of Americans for the Arts, is designed to provide services to the diverse field of public art and to develop strategies and tools to improve communities through public art. The network's constituents are public art professionals, visual artists, design professionals, and communities and organizations planning public art projects and programs.

Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With offices in Washington, DC, and New York City, it has a record of 45 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.