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Essence to Auction Special SSR
Auction to Benefit Organization Working With Teenagers and the Creative Arts
NEW YORK, Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- A custom-painted Chevrolet SSR will go up
for auction on Monday, October 4 on ebay.com, with proceeds going to the New
Orleans Center for Creative Arts|Riverfront (NOCCA|Riverfront). The vehicle,
featuring original artwork by artist Margaret Slade Kelley, was given to the
Essence Music Festival team in July in honor of the Festival's 10th
anniversary.
The Essence Music Festival, known as "the party with a purpose," is the
nation's largest annual African-American event and gathering of musical talent
in the world. The Festival has become a destination of choice for families and
friends as they schedule their reunions.
The SSR's hood is the canvas for "Creole Lady," an image that brings together
the Essence Music Festival and the African American experience. "Creole Lady"
is a mosaic of oranges, reds, blues and greens and is placed in the Historic
French Quarter of New Orleans. Chevy commissioned the work from Kelley who is
known for combining social, expressive and personal images in her work. In
1995, Kelley created three pieces of artwork that served as the backdrop for
the Essence Awards.
The SSR features a 5.3L all-aluminum V8 engine, which provides 300 hp and 225
lbs-ft. of torque. The vehicle sports a 4-speed automatic engine, and includes
front & rear disc brakes, and 4-wheel ABS. The Chevy SSR is the only
retractable hardtop pickup truck on the market and features 19-inch front and
20-inch rear tires & wheels, hydroformed frame rails, a Zexel-Torsen limited-
slip differential, electronic traction control, air conditioning, remote
keyless entry, power windows and leather seats. The vehicle also includes an
upgraded cargo compartment with wood trim, heated seats and an in-dash, six-CD,
Bose premium sound system.
"We wanted to do something really special to commemorate the Festival's 10th
anniversary," said Nate Love, Chevrolet marketing manager. "The number 10 is
very important to both EMF and Chevy. As the festival celebrated its 10th
anniversary, Chevy is in the midst of bringing 10 new products to the market in
20 months. We think the number '10' is a great thing to have in common!"
NOCCA|Riverfront is the State of Louisiana's arts conservatory for public,
private, and parochial high school students. The Essence Music Festival
selected NOCCA|Riverfront as beneficiary for the SSR donation because the two
have such similar missions and share many core beliefs.
"Essence shares Chevrolet's commitment to community. We wanted this gracious
gift to benefit an organization working with our youth," said Edward Lewis,
publisher and chief executive officer of Essence Communication Partners. "We
believe that the phenomenal work NOCCA|Riverfront has accomplished with young
people over the years perfectly reflects the dedication that is important to us
and the future of America."
"The woman in the painting represents all that is Essence -- she has beauty,
strength and ability," said Margaret Slade Kelley. "She is surrounded by men
who are adorned with masks in honor of their ancestors and heritage. The steps
empower the rising up of a people who are inspired to reach new heights. The
background combines a traditional New Orleans balcony while the pattern in the
stage drapery flows to the rhythm of music."
"Chevrolet has sponsored the Essence Music Festival for the past five years.
Chevy's strong ties to the festival reflect its dedication to community and
philanthropy," Love said.
"Chevrolet is involved in a variety of community, youth and scholarship
programs, and has worked with great partners like Essence as part of our
commitment to give back to our loyal and valued customers. We are very excited
Essence has selected NOCCA|Riverfront as the ultimate beneficiary of our gift,"
Love said.
NOCCA|Riverfront was founded in 1973 and provides intensive professional
training in dance, media arts, music (classical, jazz, vocal), theatre (drama,
musical theatre, theatre design), visual arts, and creative writing to students
at the high school level. Prominent alumni include Wynton and Branford
Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Harry Connick, Jr., Nicholas Payton,
Jeanne-Michele Charbonnet, Wendell Pierce and Anthony Mackie.
Chevrolet is one of America's most well-known and successful automotive brands.
With the largest dealer network in the United States, Chevy is the leader in
full-size trucks and the leader in sales of vehicles priced $35,000 and above.
In addition, Chevrolet delivers more-than-expected value in every vehicle
category, offering cars and trucks priced from $9,995 to $52,000. Offering
dynamic yet timeless designs, Chevy owners demand great looks that don't go out
of style, high performance per dollar, and features expected in more expensive
vehicles. Chevrolet's global headquarters is at the GM Renaissance Center in
Detroit. For more information, go to http://www.chevy.com/ .
Essence Festivals, LLC, produces the Essence Music Festival. Essence
Festivals, LLC, is a division of Essence Communications Partners (ECP). ECP is
the publisher of ESSENCE magazine, which after 34 years continues to be the
preeminent lifestyle magazine of African-American women.
Additional information available at http://www.essence.com/events .
DATASOURCE: General Motors Corporation
CONTACT: Rhonda Evans of Essence Communications Partners,
+1-212-642-0676, Email: ; Carolyn Normandin of Chevrolet
Communications, +1-313-667-4079, E-mail: ; Richard
Read of The NOCCA Institute, +1-504-940-2808, Email:
Web site: http://media.gm.com/
http://www.gm.com/
http://www.chevy.com/
http://www.essence.com/events