AMERICAN WAR HEROES FROM FIVE WARS TO BE HONORED AT PALM BEACH’S TABOO RESTAURANT JULY 11 - PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT FRIENDS OF FISHER HOUSE

PALM BEACH, FL (June 24, 2012) - American veterans from World War II, to the present will be honored during a fundraiser for The Friends of Fisher House, Wednesday July 11^th from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at Taboo Restaurant in Palm Beach and veterans from across the globe are contributing their fundraising efforts.

Honored guests for the evening will include Joseph Dryer, one of the few remaining survivors of the attack on Iwo Jima; Jerold Klein, Friends of Fisher House Treasurer and recipient of the Silver Star for heroism in Vietnam; Daniel R. Baer who served in World War II; Rodman Steele a Vietnam Vet, Desmond Price who was deployed five times, and recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan, and Ted Task and Frank Hogan who both served as US Marines during the Korean War.

Says Joe Dryer, “I was a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Marines during WWII and was shot in the chest with a machined gun on Iwo Jima -- the biggest and bloodiest battle in Marine Corps history.  When we landed on the beach we had 35 officers.  When I was hit, there were only four of us left.” Dryer’s father was also an American veteran serving in WW I and joining the Marine Corps as Major in 1943.

The Friends of Fisher House first fundraiser in Palm Beach has the overwhelming support of the local community, and many dedicated American veterans were the first to offer their support for this great cause.  Graham Gaspard, President of Black River Caviar, whose father George ‘Speedy’ Gaspard served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam and received the Silver Medal of Freedom, donated a kilo of Caviar to be used during the event.  Ed Ivy, Director of Village Camps in Switzerland served in Vietnam along with his brother, generously donated a $5,000 summer camp session for the auction.

 

“My brother and I both served in Vietnam, and our father in World War II.  What I did is no different than the hundreds of thousands of GI’s that have served.  Serving as we did makes us better able to appreciate the men and women who have served and continue to our Country every day," said Mr. Ivy.

West Palm Beach-based Florida Crystals was among the first to offer support, and more than twenty prominent community leaders have contributed funds or volunteered to act as celebrity bartenders to raise money for the local "home away from home" for the families of veterans being treated at the VA Hospital.  The impressive roster of supporters includes philanthropists Diana and Llwyd Ecclestone; South Florida builder/developer/promoter Michael Capponi; President/CEO of Douglas Elliman, Vanessa Grout; NFL Hall of Famer Tucker Frederickson; American Le Mans race car driver Jay Cochran; and a host of local movers and shakers including: Diane N. Weiss, Franklyn di Marco, Philip Nicozisis, Jeff Koons, Brad Deflin,  Carlos Morrison, Tommy Morrison, Jim Pappas, Andres Fanjul, Daniel Jennings, Adam Lipson, Alexis Posada, Pamela Tombari, Marrisa Pepper, Avery Dimmig, Robert Riva, Reid Boren and Philip Nicozisis.

Juicy Couture and Sequin Boutique have extended their hours to co-host the event, offering their venue for the Caviar Reception and Chinese auction item overflow.  Other luxury brand sponsors donating their time or items for donations include: The Breakers, Stubbs & Wootton, Fisher Island Club, Christofle, Key Leaf, Emilio Pucci, Badgley Mischka, Frederic Fekkai, Daniella Ortiz, and Island Company.

If you would like more information on this topic or to schedule an interview, please call Linda Soper at (612) 308.4159 or email: linda@lindalanemarketing.com.

About Fisher House:

The Fisher House program is a unique private-public partnership that supports America's service men and women in their time of greatest need.  Families do not pay to stay at Fisher Houses, which serve as a "home away from home" for them while their loved ones are receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers. 

The program was the brainchild of New York real estate developer and philanthropist Zachary Fisher and his wife Elizabeth who opened the first "Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher House" at the National Naval Medical Center Bethesda, Maryland on 24 June 1990.  There are now over 50 Fisher Houses throughout the United States, and the program is growing every year in response to the needs of veterans and their families.  More than 183,000 days of lodging are provided by Fisher Houses every year. 

The local Fisher House is an eight-bedroom facility situated on the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center campus. It has been in operation since 1995, and has accommodated approximately 10,100 families.  Each guest room has a laptop with Wi-Fi Internet, flat screen TV, and a DVD/VCR player. Families are welcomed to use a fully stocked kitchen to provide for their meals.  The homey living room has an extensive library of books, DVD's and games, and the shaded patio overlooking the quiet lake behind the house provides a much- needed respite for families after caring for their loved ones at the Medical Center.

The Friends of the Fisher House, a charitable corporation recognized under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, supports all the needs of the West Palm Beach VA Fisher House. Board members volunteer their time and talents to raise funds for food, supplies and necessary capital improvements. In the words of Board President Joseph A. Tringali, "The expenses of the Board are zero and will remain that way." The Friends of Fisher House have also established a voucher program with selected area hotels to take care of families when Fisher House has no vacancies.

The Friends of Fisher House anticipates the demand for rooms will continue to increase, especially now that the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center has a major cancer treatment facility.  They believe that America owes a debt to its veterans and their families who deserve to be fully supported in their time of need with safe and convenient lodging while in the West Palm Beach area for medical treatment. One Board member summed up our obligation to our veterans with one simple statement – “We have a ‘land of the free’ because of the brave!"

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Palm Beach Day Academy Launches Largest Campaign

With Celebrations Commencing - Wednesday, May 30, 2012

PALM BEACH, FL (May 29, 2012) – With Palm Beach Day Academy’s largest fundraising campaign now in progress, a celebratory kick off to the Great Expectations campaign will take place on Wednesday, May 30, 2012 at 11:00 A.M. with the renaming of the Mathews Auditorium to the Matthews Performing Arts Center on its Upper Campus located at 241 Seaview Avenue in Palm Beach. Construction hats will be provided for all attendees and renovations will officially begin June 9. Expansion for the school will continue this summer on both the lower campus (Pre K – Grade 3) in West Palm Beach and the upper campus (Grades 4 – Grade 9) in Palm Beach.

The Great Expectations Campaign began with the purchase of the Unity Church property positioned in the center of the school’s Lower Campus on Flagler Drive. The school’s leadership under the direction of Head of School, Dr. Rebecca van der Bogert, formed a long-range plan for capital improvements, expansion, professional development and endowments.  

Great Expectation Campaign Co-Chairs include Michael Ainslie, Lourdes Fanjul, Scott Johnson and Glenn Straub.  Honorary Co-Chairs are William Matthews and James Patterson.  More than 60 parents, past parents and alumni serve on the Campaign Steering Committee.

Many significant milestones have already been achieved.  This past year, the “quiet phase” of the campaign concluded with 100% participation of Palm Beach Day Academy’s Board of Trustees, faculty and staff.  To date, many of the school’s most generous long time friends and families have joined them to raise more than $7.5 million toward the initial goal of $14 million for Phase I and II.

The current focus is to raise the remaining $900,000 necessary to renovate the Matthews Performing Arts Center located on the school’s Upper Campus on Seaview Avenue.  Temporary classrooms now occupy fifty percent of the structure due to the overcrowding of the campus in the late 1990’s. Palm Beachers Frances and Jeffrey Fisher have agreed to match each gift in support of Matthews dollar-for-dollar up to $300,000.  Frances Fisher serves on the school’s Board of Trustees. 

“We anxiously await the renaissance of the Matthews Performing Arts Center which, for years, served as the centerpiece of our Upper Campus.” Said Dr. van der Bogert.

With construction slated to begin this June, the 300-seat theater will allow students to once again enjoy activities synonymous with Palm Beach Day including: The spring musical, Ralph Greco’s public speaking course, assemblies, and commencement – in a state-of-the art facility that will rival any of the small-scale theaters in the area.

Other capital improvements in the school’s long range plan include construction of a Center for Athletics and Arts and Comprehensive Educational Building to form a unified Lower Campus on Flagler Drive for students age two through third grade.  Additionally, funds are being raised for professional development, financial aid, academic chairs and endowment.

“This campaign is a game changer,” states Ainslie. “We know we are an excellent school.  With the enhancements, we are going to be a world-class school.”

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About Palm Beach Day Academy

Palm Beach Day Academy is a coeducational independent day school located in Palm Beach and West Palm Beach, Florida.  An enrollment of over 500 students in Pre-Kindergarten 2 year olds to Ninth Grade is drawn from Palm Beach and West Palm Beach and the outlying communities as far south as Manalapan, west as Wellington and north as Jupiter.  Palm Beach Day Academy is incorporated as a non-sectarian, not-for-profit school.  It has been a member of the National Association of Independent Schools since 1957 and is evaluated and accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools and the Florida Kindergarten Council.  Founded in 1921, Palm Beach Day Academy is the oldest incorporated independent school in Florida.  For more information, please visit: www.pbday.org.

SUPPORTERS HEAD SOUTH OF THE BORDER FOR ANNUAL PALM BEACH ZOO

“DO AT THE ZOO - SOUTH OF THE BORDER” 

WEST PALM BEACH (May 21, 2012) – Donning sombreros and shaking maracas, Palm Beach Zoo supporters traveled “South of the Border” on Friday, May 4th for the Palm Beach Zoo’s annual spring Do at the Zoo fundraiser.

Taking place under a near full moon on the Mayan Plaza, event highlights included the opportunity to meet and greet exotic animals accompanied by zookeepers and a lucky few got to actually travel behind the scenes for up close and personal visits with bears, tigers, and jaguars. 

The sold-out evening, hosted by Mary Baker and Susanna Hager with Whitney Bylin and Tommy Quick serving as Event Committee Chairmen, included cocktails courtesy of Bacardi USA and a movable feast provided by area restaurants including: The Bonefish Grill, Cha Cha’s, Imoto, Outback Steakhouse, PB Catch, Café Sapori, Echo, the Leopard Lounge, the Palm Beach Zoo’s Tropics Café, and Rooney’s Public House.

The array of local restaurants served up delectable delights that included lamb chops with remoulade, crab cakes, Bang Bang Shrimp, guajillo pork tacos, south of the border braised beef on crispy wonton chips, homemade Mexican wedding cookies, an ice cream cart, and chicken and cheese quesadillas to end the evening.  Celebrating 150 years of bringing people together, Bacardi USA made quite a splash with dedicated "Bacardi bars," throughout the party, which included Bacardi bartenders serving up a full complement of spirits.  There were also Bacardi models in their signature red dresses, who greeted guests with south of the border cocktails featuring the Bacardi-owned premium Tequila, Cazadores.  Guests enjoyed the smooth "Cazadores ZooRita" made with grapefruit juice, limejuice and agave nectar and the refreshing "Cazadores El Tigre" with grapefruit soda and limejuice.

Host Committee members included: Lourdes Fanjul, Tory Grauer, Ashley Ramos, April Finch, Patrick Killian, Lauriston Roach, Mary Freitas, Emily Mateer, and Samantha Storkerson. Presenting Corporate Sponsors included Bacardi USA, C-Biz, Christie’s, Florida Power & Light and Maisie’s Daisies.

All proceeds from “Do at the Zoo – South of the Border” help the zoo advance its mission to protect wildlife and wildlife habitat and to inspire others to value and conserve the natural world. 

The Palm Beach Zoo is home to more than 1,400 animals and is nationally accredited by the Association of zoos and aquariums. The zoo, located at 1301 Summit Boulevard, in West Palm Beach, is planning a new tiger exhibit in which a portion of the proceeds from the various zoo fundraisers goes towards.  This exhibit is being designed to enhance the habitat of the three Malayan tiger cubs born just one year ago. Last year, the Palm Beach Zoo was one of only two institutions to successfully breed Malayan tigers. In Partnership with Panthera and the Wildlife Conservation Society through their Tigers Forever project, The Palm Beach Zoo is proud to be a part of a global effort to help protect tigers and their habitat. 

If you would like more information on this topic or to schedule an interview, please call Linda Soper at (561) 835-9057 or email: linda@lindalanemarketing.com. 

Photos courtesy of Lucien Capehart Photography.

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SUPPORTERS TO HEAD SOUTH OF THE BORDER IN SUPPORT OF THE PALM BEACH ZOO’S “DO AT THE ZOO SOUTH OF THE BORDER” FUNDRAISER

WEST PALM BEACH (April 20, 2012) – Palm Beach Zoo supporters will be heading “South of the Border” on Friday, May 4th for the Palm Beach Zoo’s annual spring Do at the Zoo fundraiser.

The evening, hosted by Mary Baker and Susanna Hager with Whitney Bylin and Tommy Quick serving as Event Committee Chairmen, will include cocktails and a movable feast provided by area restaurants including: The Bonefish Grill, Cha Cha’s, Imoto, Outback Steakhouse, PB Catch, Café Sapori, Echo, the Leopard Lounge, the Palm Beach Zoo’s Tropics Café, and Rooney’s Public House.  Specialty Cazadores Tequila cocktails courtesy of Bacardi USA will be created specifically for the event featuring the “Bacardi Zoo Rock” and the “Bacardi 8 Safari Sipper”. Not to be missed will be the opportunity to meet and greet select animals accompanied by zookeepers throughout the evening on the Mayan Plaza.

Host Committee members that include: Lourdes Fanjul, Tory Grauer, Ashley Ramos, April Finch, Patrick Killian, Lauriston Roach, Mary Frietas, Emily Mateer, and Samantha Storkerson. Presenting Corporate Sponsors include Christie’s, Bacardi USA, and Florida Power & Light.   

All proceeds from “Do at the Zoo – South of the Border” will help the zoo advance its mission to protect wildlife and wildlife habitat and to inspire others to value and conserve the natural world.  The Palm Beach Zoo is home to more than 1,400 animals and is nationally accredited by the Association of zoos and aquariums. The zoo, located at 1301 Summit Boulevard, in West Palm Beach, is planning a new tiger exhibit in which a portion of the proceeds from the various zoo fundraisers goes towards.  This exhibit is being designed to enhance the habitat of the three Malayan tiger cubs born just one year ago. Last year, the Palm Beach Zoo was one of only two institutions to successfully breed Malayan tigers. In Partnership with Panthera and the Wildlife Conservation Society through their Tigers Forever project, The Palm Beach Zoo is proud to be a part of a global effort to help protect tigers and their habitat.  

Ticket prices for the “Do at the Zoo – South of the Border” start at $200.00 and sponsorships are still available by contacting the Palm Beach Zoo at: (561) 533-0887 ext 285 or emailing to: pviscusi@palmbeachzoo.org.

If you would like more information on this topic or to schedule an interview, please call Linda Soper at (561) 835-9057 or email: linda@lindalanemarketing.com.

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Renowned Artist Daniel Bottero & Internationally known Choreographer Jerry Opdenaker Collaborate at the Kravis Center

PALM BEACH (March 23, 2012) – Four outstanding companies will be presenting four incredible performances at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts Rinker Theater April 6-8. Collaborating with famous artists, musicians, and designers and presented by O Dance Founder and Director, Jerry Opdenaker, O Dance will play host to three nationally known companies in a progressive dynamic performance bringing in visual collaborations with contemporary artist Daniel Bottero as well as other famous designers, and dance companies.

Says Opdenaker, “Our program is a powerful and forceful display of creativity, innovation and Dance Theater that promises to captivate, entice and excite audiences with its roster of international guest artists and professional dancers.” Dance companies also participating include: Infinite Movement Ever Evolving from Houston, Texas, Surfscape Contemporary Dance Theater from Daytona, Florida, Reach Dance Company from Palm Beach Gardens, and special guest artists from the American Repertory Ballet from Princeton, New Jersey.

Says collaborator Daniel Bottero, “Expect a performance that is very vibrant and full of passion and enthusiasm both visually and through movement. We are thrilled to be a part of this exciting effort collaborating with such notable dance companies.”

Daniel Bottero is a contemporary artist with a showroom in Palm Beach and studio in Miami. His works have been represented in galleries and museums around the world and his paintings can be found in homes owned by celebrities and politicians alike. In addition to being a part of O Dance, Bottero is currently exhibiting at the Time Warner Center in New York City through the month of April.

The artist, a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, graduated from the National School of Fine Arts, Buenos Aires. Upon graduation, Bottero moved to Italy where he earned his Master’s Degree at the Academia Italiana di Belle Arti in Lucca, Italy and then moved to Paris where he resided from 1986 to 1990. Bottero moved to the U.S. in 1990 and has called the U.S. home ever since. His works can be seen by visiting: www.botterocollector.com.

Bottero’s modernist works are featured in the corporate collections of Citibank, Xerox, Avon, Merrill Lynch and JP Morgan Chase Bank and are a part of many private collections including those of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Dan Marino, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Al Pacino, Steven Segal and Oscar de la Hoya. In addition, Bottero has exhibited at several famous museums throughout the world and several paintings have been featured at both Sotheby’s and Christie’s auction houses in New York.

If you would like more information on this topic or to schedule an interview, please call Linda Soper at (612) 308-4159

THE TIME WARNER CENTER AT COLUMBUS CIRCLE PRESENTS THE WORKS OF DANIEL BOTTERO, APRIL 3-30, 2012

A selection of paintings by Argentine artist, Daniel Bottero will enliven the exciting exhibition space at Time Warner Center in Manhattan’s Columbus Circle throughout the month of April.

Bottero’s work can be described as both bold and dramatic—often energetically rendered in nearly fauvist hyper-color—yet equally lyrical. The well-known Miami-based artist has been hailed by the renowned American art critic, and former A. D. White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University, Donald Kuspit as, “A poet painter, that is, a painter who uses his medium to convey the poetry of his emotions, indeed of his temperament.”

Having lived in Manhattan for many years, Bottero made the recent decision to show at Time Warner Center “In order to embrace the cacophony of the urban landscape.” This choice is not surprising as in both the artist’s work, and in the refreshing way he views the commercial art world, Bottero is one of a dying breed. He is wholly unmoved by market trends, nor has he been tempted away from his first love—the pure application of paint on canvas. He has never wavered from the visceral thrill that honing and perfecting this traditional technique as his chosen means of expression has given him.

In addition, Bottero stands out in the context of the 21^st century contemporary art world, populated increasingly by artists who utilize the latest in digital and technological media to comment on temporal and political themes. Many artists today are working in an outward-referencing manner, often in an honorable quest to further the dialogue and dialectic surrounding difficult geo-political issues, yet Bottero has remained true to an inward-looking and highly personal perspective and has left the commentary and desire to agitate to others.

The serenity evoked by this highly personal aesthetic approach to universal themes and human emotions, has made Bottero’s work a favorite of prestigious private collectors including: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Al Pacino, Dan Marino and Gloria Estefan. In addition, his work is featured in acclaimed, and critically curated corporate collections including: Citibank, Xerox, Merrill Lynch and JP Morgan Chase Bank.

Although Bottero is a painter with roots in the Latin American Modernist aesthetic—he graduated from the National School of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires—his work has evolved and gained layers of depth and meaning, as a result of his extensive further education and travel. After leaving Argentina, Bottero earned his Master’s Degree at the Academia Italiana de Belle Arti, in Lucca, Italy, and spent long periods living in both Paris and New York—absorbing the cultural idiosyncrasies of these two great cities and art centers.

Critics and collectors often compare Bottero’s work to the best of modern cityscape painting, to the masters of Latin Magical Realism and to the evocation of the sub-conscious championed by the Surrealists. However, as is usually the case, the artist himself is uncomfortable with neat comparisons, and describes the driving forces behind his vocation best. As he potently puts it: “Yesterday, today, my life, new encounters, loves, dreams, loneliness, strange noises and sorrows”.

*Artist will be available for press and photo-op, April 4, from 5:15-5:45pm For further information please or to schedule an interview contact Linda Soper at (612) 308-4159. High-resolution photographs and video, available on request. Website: www.BotteroCollector.com.

Daniel Bottero Exhibition at Time Warner Center, New York, NY - April 2012

New York, NY -- (March 19, 2012) - A selection of paintings by Argentine artist, Daniel Bottero will enliven the exciting exhibition space at the Time Warner Center in Manhattan’s Columbus Circle throughout the month of April.

Bottero’s work can be described as both bold and dramatic -- often energetically rendered in nearly fauvist hyper-color -- yet equally lyrical. The well-known Miami-based artist has been hailed by the renowned American art critic, and former A. D. White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University as, “a poet painter, that is, a painter who uses his medium to convey the poetry of his emotions, indeed of his temperament”.

Having lived in Manhattan for many years, Bottero made the recent decision to show at the Time Warner Center “In order to embrace the cacophony of the urban landscape.” This choice is not surprising as in both the artist’s work, and in the refreshing way he views the commercial art world, Bottero is one of a dying breed. He is wholly unmoved by market trends, nor has he been tempted away from his first love -- the pure application of paint on canvas. He has never wavered from the visceral thrill that honing and perfecting this traditional technique as his chosen means of expression has given him.

In addition, Bottero stands out in the context of the 21st century contemporary art world, populated increasingly by artists who utilize the latest in digital and technological media to comment on temporal and political themes. Many artists today are working in an outward-referencing manner, often in an honorable quest to further the dialogue and dialectic surrounding difficult geo-political issues, yet Bottero has remained true to an inward-looking and highly personal perspective and has left the commentary and desire to agitate to others.

The serenity evoked by this highly personal aesthetic approach to universal themes and human emotions, has made Bottero’s work a favorite of prestigious private collectors including: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Al Pacino, Dan Marino and Gloria Estefan. In addition, his work is featured in acclaimed, and critically curated corporate collections including: Citibank, Xerox, Merrill Lynch and JP Morgan Chase Bank.

Although Bottero is a painter with roots in the Latin American Modernist aesthetic -- he graduated from the National School of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires -- his work has evolved and gained layers of depth and meaning, as a result of his extensive further education and travel. After leaving Argentina, Bottero earned his Master’s Degree at the Academia Italiana de Belle Arti, in Lucca, Italy, and spent long periods living in both Paris and New York -- absorbing the cultural idiosyncrasies of these two great cities and art centers.

Critics and collectors often compare Bottero’s work to the best of modern cityscape painting, to the masters of Latin Magical Realism and to the evocation of the sub-conscious championed by the Surrealists.

However, as is usually the case, the artist himself is uncomfortable with neat comparisons, and describes the driving forces behind his vocation best. As he potently puts it: “Yesterday, today, my life, new encounters, loves, dreams, loneliness, strange noises and sorrows”.

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*Artist will be available for press and photo-op, April 4, from 5:15-5:45pm. For further information please or to schedule an interview contact Linda Soper at (612) 308-4159. High-resolution photographs and video, available on request. Website: www.studiobottero.com.

Artist Client, Daniel Bottero Featured in Estilos Magazine

Check out client, Daniel Bottero's new artist profile in Estilos Magazine! For more on Daniel Bottero's latest exhibitions, please read the following!

Beginning April 1, the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle will present a series of paintings by Bottero. The exhibit is open to the public and will be on display on the second floor overlooking Central Park and Columbus Circle through the month of April.

The exhibition includes new Bottero works amongst other abstract paintings, which bring Bottero's experiences and emotions to canvas using bold colors and dramatic images. "With the Time Warner Center's iconic location, dynamic shops, world-class restaurant collection, and famous Mandarin Oriental Hotel, it is a privilege to show Daniel’s work here," says Linda Soper, President of Linda Lane PR & Marketing.

No stranger to New York, Bottero lived in Manhattan for several years before moving to Miami where he currently resides. In addition to his Miami studio, Bottero has a showroom in Palm Beach featuring a rotating number of pieces on display. His work has been represented in galleries and museums around the world and his paintings can be found in homes owned by celebrities and politicians alike. But the Time Warner Center may be his grandest stage. “There isn’t a gallery in New York that’s the size of the Time Warner space,” says Bottero. “Plus, the location and the building itself is a piece of art—it’s the perfect setting to exhibit. The energy of my work reflects the energy of this vibrant city and I am thrilled to be a part of it!”

And Bottero promises he will make great use of the space. “Expect an exhibition that is very vibrant and full of passion and enthusiasm, just like the people that come to New York,” he says. 10 Columbus Circle; botterocollector.com

The artist, a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, graduated from the National School of Fine Arts, Buenos Aires. Upon graduation, Bottero moved to Italy where he earned his Master’s Degree at the Academia Italiana di Belle Arti in Lucca, Italy and then moved to Paris where he resided from 1986 to 1990. Bottero moved to the U.S. in 1990 and has called the U.S. home ever since.

Bottero’s modernist works are featured in the corporate collections of Citibank, Xerox, Avon, Merrill Lynch and JP Morgan Chase Bank and are a part of many private collections including those of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Dan Marino, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Al Pacino, Steven Segal and Oscar de la Hoya. In addition, Bottero has exhibited at several famous museums throughout the world and several paintings have been featured at both Sotheby’s and Christie’s auction houses in New York.

THE CURIOUS WORLD OF AUSTIN MANCHESTER TO UNVEIL AT THE ANN NORTON SCULPTURE GARDENS APRIL 4-29

WEST PALM BEACH (February 28, 2012) - Artist and part time Palm Beach resident Austin Manchester will unveil The Curious World Art of Austin Manchester in the galleries of the Ann Norton Sculpture Garden April 4 through April 29 with a member and guest artist reception Wednesday, April 11 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

The works of Austin Manchester, created with resins and oils, radiate with their own inner energy and touch on the surreal and figurative, resulting in emotional yet serene images that possess the power to reveal the essence of spirit.

Manchester, who has exhibited throughout the world, has set up his painting studio on the north end of Palm Beach, where in addition to his surreal and figurative works, he is also exploring the landscapes and unique quality of Florida’s tropical location. Born in the United States, Austin Manchester spent his formative years living in Kenya, France, Switzerland, Nova Scotia and New England and lives in Palm Beach and the south of France.

Growing up in a family of famous artisans, Manchester was encouraged from an early age by his mother, Carolina Casperson, to find an avenue for his own creative expression. Carolina, who is a singer songwriter recording under the name Serah, also lives in Palm Beach. Manchester’s sister, Grace, is also a singer songwriter with hit records in France, where she lives in close proximity to her brother’s family in the summer months.

Living in the south of France allows Manchester to submerse himself into the deep history of painting. “Within a small radius from where we live I can see the works of many great masters such as Courbet, Gauguin and Bazille as well as trek deep into caves and see pictographs which were painted 12,000 years ago. Studying and being inspired by life is ongoing and I love surrounding myself with the beauty and history which the Midi provides.” Several of the paintings on exhibit at the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens include Manchester’s interpretation of the pictographs, as well as inspirations from the sea while living in Palm Beach.

Although a spirited adventurer, Manchester sought a formal education at the University of California, San Diego in the visual arts and continued with art studies in Cologne, Germany where he learned the craft necessary to create his expressive works. Married to Carmen Manchester, the couple have three children that are being educated multi-culturally in the United States and France, carrying on the tradition of fostering self-expression.

Manchester's work is often compared with the paintings of the great Symbolist master, Odilon Redon (1840-1914), as they share a sense of timelessness, while simultaneously capturing the mysteries of life. Similar to Redon’s work, Austin’s paintings inspire and are not to be defined. There are threads of similarity, as well, between his work and that of late 19th - early 20th century artist Louis Eilshemius. Both these artists instill a lyrical element of fantasy and succeed at painting what at first glance seems the egoless character of naive art, but with longer viewing open like a door to reveal penetrating depth of thought and layered painterly action that is deeply engaging to the viewer.

Says the artist, "I seek to gather and shape light with pigments, resins, oils and pure Higgs particles. As well as a driving force for me, this can have a profound effect for the viewer. My paintings incorporate smooth line counterbalanced by organic texture. The texture adds life and movement." Although very strong, the paintings have no sense of guile. They are painted with obvious enjoyment and careful attention and are easily viewed in the same manner.

Manchester’s works have exhibited at the Galerie Vidourle Prix, in Sauve France; Galerie Bout du Monde in Saint Hippolyte du Fort, France, and throughout the U.S. and Europe in cities including New York, San Francisco, and Paris, as well as being held in numerous private collections both here and abroad.

The Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, Inc. is a recognized 501 (c) (3) operating foundation established in 1977 by the prominent sculptor Ann Weaver Norton (1905-1982). The gardens are conveniently located at 253 Barcelona Road, at the corner of Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach, FL. The rare palm and sculpture gardens, exhibition galleries and artist studio are currently open Wednesday-Sunday. 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

To view the works of Austin Manchester online, please visit: www.austinmanchester.com.

If you would like more information on The Curious World Art of Austin Manchester in the galleries of the Ann Norton Sculpture Garden or to schedule an interview, please call Linda Soper at (612) 308-4159 or email: linda@lindalanemarketing.

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