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Buffalo, New York –Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame Quarterback Jim Kelly and WNED President and CEO Donald K. Boswell, announced today a collaborative project designed to celebrate music, art and hope in Western New York. Officials from Kelly for Kids, Hunter’s Hope and the WNED Buffalo Niagara Guitar Festival have joined forces to create Guitars for Hope, a public arts project that will benefit all three organizations.
Modeled after Buffalo’s highly successful Herd About Buffalo project and Cleveland’s Guitarmania , Guitars for Hope will engage local artists and national celebrities to create and inventively transform fiberglass guitar molds into works of art.
“Five years ago, the Buffalo Niagara Guitar Festival was organized as part of WNED’s ongoing mission to enlighten, inspire, entertain and educate the community,” said Boswell. “Through the years, the festival has been, and continues to be, a celebration of the guitar as well as a catalyst for uniting the region's cultural organizations and businesses.
“Today, WNED is pleased to partner with Kelly for Kids and Hunter’s Hope for Guitars for Hope. This project is a fitting addition to the Guitar Festival and we expect it to have a profound impact.”
Jim Kelly will serve as the honorary chair of the project. Ann Brooker, Executive Director for Kelly for Kids and Rich Jureller, WNED Special Events Manager will be co-coordinators of the project.
“On behalf of Kelly for Kids and Hunter’s Hope, we are proud to partner with WNED for the Guitars for Hope project,” said Kelly. “I’m excited because this community-based program will bring together so many things that I enjoy: music, art and raising money for local Western New York charities.”
C.F. Martin & Co. has joined the project and helped to design the six-foot fiberglass acoustic guitar mold, fashioned after their Martin D-28 guitar. Models are being constructed by Merlinworks, of Etobicoke, Ontario. BlueCross and BlueShield of Western New York and Rite Aid are the initial sponsors of the project.
Fifty of the art guitars will be a part of the project, which is scheduled to culminate with a gala auction event during the 2006 WNED Buffalo Niagara Guitar Festival.
Artist Todd Dawes, a long-time friend and associate of Jim Kelly, traveled from his home in Florida to work on and contribute the initial piece of guitar art. Dawes created the image presented to Jim Kelly when his name was placed on the Bills Wall of Fame in Ralph Wilson Stadium.
Attendees at today’s news announcement were able to view Dawes’ art work in progress.
“I was thinking of something patriotic, since rock-n-roll music is so American,” Dawes said. “I wanted something that would strike people from a distance. I thought a patriotic design would get people excited.”
His design incorporates an eagle carrying a “Support Our Troops” ribbon and an American flag. The flag on the painting morphs into an actual flag attached to the base of the guitar artwork. It also utilizes lightning bolts for strings and a Liberty Torch.
Artists interested in creating art for a guitar and those interested in corporate sponsorships are asked to contact Rich Jureller at 716.845.7000, ext. 372 or via email: guitarfestivalinfo@wned.org
The Kelly for Kids Foundation is committed to providing funding and support to children's charities throughout Western New York. These charities operate for the benefit of disadvantaged and handicapped youths and focus on children's needs and issues.
Hunter’s Hope Foundation is dedicated to increasing public awareness of Krabbe Leukodystrophy, and to helping support research, new therapies and a cure for the inherited, fatal nervous system disease that affects Hunter Kelly.
Since 2001, the WNED Buffalo Niagara Guitar Festival has been a celebration of the guitar for those who play it and those who experienced it. Many of the world's finest guitarists have visited Buffalo to share in the love of the six-stringed instrument and the power of performance.
The Martin Guitar Company (C.F. Martin & Co., Inc.) has been making the world's finest acoustic flattop guitars for over 170 years. The Martin factory is located in Nazareth, PA. More information on the company is available by logging onto www.martinguitar.com |
