Alexander Lee:
Recitations from the Great Fish Changing Skies Exhibition
VIP Event and Press Preview

Enjoy Cocktails and Hors d’oeuvres with the artist
and receive the first look of his new exhibition

Who

Alexander Lee: Recitations from the Great Fish Changing Skies Exhibition, an exhibition of sculptures and drawings. In Lee’s new installment, he transforms the gallery into a space that invites the viewer to witness the epic and chilling legend of the creation of a volcanic island. This fable tells of a rebellious young maiden who defied the gods by swimming in a river near her home, only to be swallowed by an inexplicable eel. Lee’s sculptures delve into the aftermath of this episode and the subsequent chain of events that culminated into the creation of the island of Tahiti. Further accounts and interpretations of the myth put forth the story of a clan of villagers exiling themselves from the highly religious and regimented life at Opoa - island of Raiatea and home to the Polynesian civilization. Their journey on the open seas in double canoes, guided by stars, led them to Tahiti-manahune, or plebeian Tahiti.

What
VIP Event and Press Preview Enjoy Cocktails and Hors d’oeuvres with the artist and receive the first look of his new exhibition.

Where
Kinkead Contemporary
6029 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232

When
Friday, September 5th, 2008
6:00-8:00pm

For more information on Alexander Lee, please see the press release below: http://www.ballantinesbiz.com/green/Kinkead-FishChangingSky-082908.html

To RSVP or for press inquiries, please contact Cara Morrissey at Ballantines PR.

Cara Morrissey
Ballantines PR
cara@ballantinespr.com
www.ballantinespr.com

Kinkead Contemporary Announces Exhibition byAlexander Lee:
Recitations from the Great Fish Changing Skies

Los Angeles, CA September 2, 2008 - Kinkead Contemporary is proud to announce Alexander Lee: Recitations from The Great Fish Changing Skies, an exhibition of sculptures and drawings by New York artist Alexander Lee. The exhibition opens on September 6th and runs through October 4th, 2008.

In Lee’s new installment, he transforms the gallery into a space that invites the viewer to witness the epic and chilling legend of the creation of a volcanic island. This fable tells of a rebellious young maiden who defied the gods by swimming in a river near her home, only to be swallowed by an inexplicable eel. Lee’s sculptures delve into the aftermath of this episode and the subsequent chain of events that culminated into the creation of the island of Tahiti. Further accounts and interpretations of the myth put forth the story of a clan of villagers exiling themselves from the highly religious and regimented life at Opoa - island of Raiatea and home to the Polynesian civilization. Their journey on the open seas in double canoes, guided by stars, led them to Tahiti-manahune, or plebeian Tahiti.

While Lee’s driving narrative is firmly planted in Tahitian folklore, his interest lies in the anthropological and cultural construction of the Other, which manifests in what the artist refers to as “an ecology of carnivorous relationships.” The exhibition’s central sculpture, titled The Great Fish Changing Skies, is comprised of an erupting mushroom cloud. It refers to the Island’s recent past as France’s nuclear testing ground, as well as the ensuing local economical boom, and, more broadly, the military-industrial-complex and its recent global aftermaths. The lower component of the sculpture, cast in resin and black sand, consists of clashing tectonic plates in the shape of mountain peaks that form both the base for the volcanic/nuclear eruption, and the transforming body of the mythical fish. A third component, in the shape of a submarine spill, gives direction to the creature in transformation, announcing the development of species. Finally, hanging in mid-air, a series of sculptures in the shape of stars draw a trajectory between the body of the fish and the visual recitation of its journey.

In addition to sculptures, Lee will be showing for the first time a series of drawings on paper that trace an arc for his sculpture’s fantastical journey. At times loose and poetically fragile, and other times more topographically determined, they broaden Lee’s practice and give pendant to the physicality of his sculptures.

Alexander Lee was born in Stockton, CA and grew up in Tahiti, French Polynesia. He received his MFA from Columbia University and an MPS from New York University. Lee’s work has appeared in numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout the U.S. and Europe, and he has recently been awarded a fellowship at the RBPMW in New York. This is Lee’s second solo exhibition at the Kinkead Contemporary gallery.

Kinkead Contemporary is a contemporary art gallery dedicated to emerging artists. Founded by John Kinkead, the gallery’s mission is to introduce new voices through an ambitious series of solo and curated group exhibitions.

For press inquiries and to RSVP to the Alexander Lee opening, please contact Cara Morrissey at Ballantines PR.

Cara Morrissey
Ballantines PR
cara@ballantinespr.com
tel: 310 454 3080
fax: 310 388 6027
cell: 310 499 3033
www.ballantinespr.com

Macular Degeneration Partnership (MDP)
Instrumental in Organizing
the Vision Pavilion at AARP National Expo

Los Angeles, CA August 29, 2008– The Macular Degeneration Partnership (MDP) along with The Discovery Eye Foundation (DEF) will be participating in the annual AARP’s National Event and Expo in Washington D.C. MDP has been instrumental in working with AARP in organizing the Vision Pavilion at the expo. The Vision Pavilion will be one of 9 pavilions highlighted, and will include various organizations and vendors distributing free samples and information about vision loss prevention. There will also be a pavilion stage with speakers and raffles taking place over the three-day event. This year’s tag line for the Vision Pavilion is “life begins at 50, vision loss doesn’t have to!”

As one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the United States, AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people age 50 and over. They are dedicated to enhancing quality of life for all as we age. They lead positive social change and deliver value to their 38 million members through information, advocacy and service. This year’s AARP National Event and Expo will take place at the convention center in Washington D.C. and is expected to draw approximately 45,000 visitors.

The Macular Degeneration Partnership has been Influential and an important player in organizing AARP’s Vision Pavilion. Under the umbrella of the Discovery Eye Foundation, which plays a vital role in finding the causes of and cures for eye disease, MDP is a patient education and advocacy program for people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), their families and caregivers. Judith Delgado, MDP Director, has been participating in the AARP expo for eight years, having had the first booth at the AARP National Event and Expo dealing with vision loss prevention. Since then, the booth has expanded to a Vision Pavilion, and includes nearly a dozen other organizations and vendors. It is one of the most visited pavilions at the annual expo.

“It is very exciting and rewarding to be a part of the Vision Pavilion, especially as AARP celebrates their 50th anniversary as an organization this year,” says Judi Delgado. “As baby boomers age, we want to bring an increased awareness about vision loss prevention. We encourage everyone to come out to the Vision Pavilion to learn about prevention and coping with vision loss, as well as the current research efforts by many of the participating organizations.”

In addition to Macular Degeneration Partnership and Discovery Eye Foundation, there will be several other organizations and vendors with booths inside the Vision Pavilion. They include: National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington, American Foundation for the Blind, American Optometric Association, Foundation Fighting Blindness, Humanware, Reader’s Digest Partners for Sight Foundation, and Wild Blueberry Association of North America. Support for the Vision Pavilion was provided by an unrestricted grant from Genentech, Inc. and the Wild Blueberry Association of North America.

Part of the Vision Pavilion’s mission this year is to promote dilated eye exams to people age 50 and over. Food vendors will also be giving free samples and discussing the health benefits of anti-oxidants for the eyes. For those coping with vision loss, a Low Vision Booth will demonstrate special gadgets, furniture and technology in a kitchen and living room setting. Contributing their expertise and equipment to the Low Vision Booth are Enhanced Vision, Lowe’s and OTT-LITE Technology, to name a few. Prizes will also be given away as part of a free drawing, and will include iPod Shuffles, hand-held digital magnifiers, Fantas-eyes Sunglasses, large print books, and much more.

Among the many Pavilion Speakers are Emily Chew, M.D., speaking on “AMD and AREDS;” Susan David, RD, discussing “Aging: The Power of Fruits and Veggies;” Sayta Verma, O.D., with the “Ten Common Culprits in Vision Loss;” and Marc Gannon, O.D. on “Better Lighting/Better Sight.” In addition to the pavilion speakers, the very popular Nutrition and Health Editor of The Today Show, Joy Bauer, will be a featured speaker on the main stage and will be speaking on “Aging Gracefully: The Fountain of Youth in Your Grocery Cart.”

This year’s AARP National Event and Expo will take place September 4 to 6, 2008 at the Washington D.C. Convention Center. To learn more about the expo, please visit the AARP website at http://www.aarp.org/aarp_benefits/natl_events/ .

To learn more about Age-related Macular Degeneration, please visit the Macular Degeneration Partnership website at http://www.amd.org. For more information about Discovery Eye Foundation, please go to http://www.discoveryeye.org/.

For media inquiries or to schedule an interview with Judith Delgado of MDP, please contact:

Erika Maya
Ballantines PR
erika@ballantinespr.com
Tel: 310 454 3080
Cell: 310-850-0309
www.ballantinespr.com

For more information on Burch Borges, please contact:
Cara Morrissey
Ballantines PR
mailto:cara@ballantinespr.com%22
tel: 310 454 3080
fax: 310 388 6027
cell: 310 499 3033

12th Annual ARTfeast Santa Fe
A Moveable Feast of Art & Cuisine

20-22 February 2009

A weekend of fine ART, FOOD, WINE, FASHION and HOMES
benefiting ART programs for the youth of Santa Fe

Contact, Sharon Peterson, 505.603.4643, info@artfeast.com
Reproduction quality digital images available upon request.

ARTsmart is a volunteer organization that believes the visual arts are critical to a child’s development. Through charitable donations and events, ARTsmart funds art programs for Santa Fe schoolchildren. Our annual fundraiser, ARTfeast, is a community project that also promotes economic development. ARTsmart is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation that works with the Santa Fe Gallery Association.

SANTA FE, NM. On the weekend of 20-22 February 2009, Santa Fe transforms into a moveable feast that takes place in cozy galleries and glorious banquet halls throughout the city. The marriage of fine art and fine food in the 12th Annual ARTfeast Santa Fe features the City Different’s world-class chefs and restaurants, an international array of vintners, wearable art, and unique homes, along with nationally and regionally prominent artists represented by members of the Santa Fe Gallery Association.

A Great Time for a Great Cause. Participation in ARTfeast weekend does more than offer a great time. Through ARTsmart, its nonprofit volunteer organizer, proceeds from the event provide young people with the skills, materials, and scholarships needed to creatively respond to life. In 2008, ARTsmart donated $100,000 to art programs and $60,000 to endowments that perpetuate a child’s opportunity to face the world imaginatively. Since its inception in 1993, ARTsmart has donated just under $650,000 to the City’s youth.

The Best of Santa Fe. Voted Top 3 Best Food Event in 2008 by the Santa Fe Reporter, ARTfeast weekend begins on Friday at noon with a sumptuous repast complemented by wines during the Fashion Show & Luncheon. Chic apparel designed for a wide spectrum of ages, bodies, and lifestyles by local and national designers will be accessorized in this “Putting it Together” event, which also includes an auction of travel, clothing, accessories, and stained-glass jewelry boxes made by Santa Fe high schoolers.

The popular Edible Art Tour follows on Friday evening from 5 to 8 pm. This odyssey of art, food, and drink is served by the city’s restaurateurs in the artful ambience of 30 galleries. Ticketholders amble through the most “walkable” art center in the country, or hop on buses shuttling between galleries on historic Canyon Road, the vital Downtown, and the exciting new Railyard District. On Saturday and Sunday, the Art of Home Tour showcases exceptional residences enhanced by artwork supplied by Santa Fe’s gallerists and ARTsmart projects by schoolchildren. Selected by the City’s premier real estate firm, Santa Fe Properties, these grand estates and intimate in-town properties are open from noon to 4 pm and admission is free.

At 6 pm on Saturday, the elegant Gourmet Dinner & Auction recognizes Honorary Artist Fran Larsen. A longtime resident of Santa Fe, Larsen is renowned for her exuberant acrylic paintings of New Mexico’s landscape. The epicurean multi-course dinner is a collaboration between five of Santa Fe’s top chefs and paired with perfect wines. The evening’s highlights include silent and live auctions of the winning plates created by sixth-graders in ARTsmart’s annual “I Made It!” competition.

ARTfeast weekend caps off with the Sunday Artist’s Champagne Brunch, which brings together art collectors, gallerists, and artists in an exciting auction atmosphere. Starting at noon, ticketholders sample champagne and mimosas as they preview both live and silent auctions of paintings, sculptures, and enticing packages that include returning to the Land of Enchantment for cooking classes, ballooning, rafting, skiing, and more. Metal sculptures created by Santa Fe high schoolers will also be on the auction block.

The Perfect Weekend Getaway. Ticketing and additional details are found at ARTfeast (artfeast.com), Santa Fe Gallery Association (santafegalleryassociation.org), and Tickets Santa Fe (ticketssantafe.org). Tastefully at the top of every traveler’s wish list, Santa Fe’s lodgers offer weekend specials, providing relaxing breaks between ARTfeast’s bountiful pleasures.

To plan additional adventures, go to the Santa Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau (santafe.org), Santa Fe Arts and Culture (santafeartsandculture.org), or New Mexico Tourism Department (newmexico.org).

ARTfeast
PO Box 32652,
Santa Fe, NM 87594
505.603.4643
artfeast.com
Offices at 102 East Water, El Centro Mall
Santa Fe, NM 87501

Contact
LOCAS Communicaions
Steve Lewis
1916 Camino Lumbre
Santa Fe, NM 87505
505-473-9002
slewisnm@earthlink.net
http://www.ballantinespr.com/

Tehmina Adaya
Hotelier and Entrepreneur
Reopens the Iconic
Hotel Shangri-La in October

Entrepreneur. Hotelier. Historian. As one of the top 50 businesswomen in Los Angeles, Tehmina Adaya brings her background in history and commercial and industrial real estate to her newest role as hotelier of Hotel Shangri-La – the 1939 landmark hotel located on the famed Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica.

The business and creative mind behind the new iconic destination, Tehmina applies her diverse skills and interests to guiding three other businesses: She manages a $150-million real estate portfolio, guides the good works of an international charitable foundation, and owns a successful independent record label.

In every way, Tehmina applies her forward-thinking philosophy to each of the companies: The Adaya Family Trust is a commercial and industrial real estate portfolio built around the longstanding belief in the strength of the California economy. “We identify and develop integral properties – so much so that our family has become part of the lifeblood of the California economy,” says Tehmina Adaya.

In addition to supporting the growth and prosperity of local businesses, Tehmina is involved in continuing to fulfill the vision of the Al-Ameen foundation of providing education, empowerment and safe havens to those less fortunate. Among other efforts, Tehmina has continued to establish schools, hospitals, shelters and foster care to underprivileged and disenfranchised people in the United States and across the globe. At the same time, Tehmina’s So Sweet records label has a niche focus and an international connection: The business has evolved into a sought after lifestyle brand dedicated to promoting American and British independent music to the American, British and Japanese markets.

As the youngest daughter of an international family, Tehmina moved to Los Angeles at the age of twelve. She was educated at the prestigious Harvard-Westlake School before heading on to UC Berkeley and UCLA to major in history. Together with her formal education and love of family, travel, music, cultural and philanthropy, Tehmina perfected her business acumen with her late father, the distinguished Ahmad Adaya.

On purchasing Hotel Shangri-La in the 1980s, Mr. Adaya immediately recognized the cultural and historic relevance of the property, embracing its far-reaching popularity with guests ranging from presidents and luminaries to movie stars, artists, tastemakers, insiders, urbanites, and citizens of the world. At the time with few resort destinations in Santa Monica, Hotel Shangri-La was a beacon of Art Deco beauty and Hollywood allure with ocean views from every room. It is as if Hotel Shangri-La had been poised for greatness from the beginning. Perhaps so. After all, Hotel Shangri-La is one of the flagships of the Adaya family portfolio – a rare jewel to share with the world.

In 2008, with its renovation currently underway, Tehmina is carrying a solid yet highly inspired vision of Hotel Shangri-La into the future.

“While the new hotel and restaurant brand will retain the historical integrity and intrigue of Hotel Shangri-La, it will respond to an entirely new era of highly discerning guests. It will invite- and demand- unforgettable experiences and a healthy dose of excess,” says Tehmina Adaya. “Imagine what was when this charmed apartment hotel by the sea re-emerges as Hotel Shangri-La, Hollywood’s oceanfront hotel – and enjoy all that comes with such tempting contrasts,” she adds.

After traveling the world conducting research and gathering impressions of what she and the audience expect from a luxury boutique hotel, Tehmina will help set Hotel Shangri-La apart with exemplary amenities, experiences and surprises at every turn.

“With excellent service, lifestyle branding and innovative guest experiences, Hotel Shangri-La will challenge the boundaries of industry expectations,” says Tehmina Adaya.

In other words, Hotel Shangri-La will redefine “luxury boutique hotel,” and Tehmina Adaya will continue to make a positive impact on others through a sense of purpose and place.

Contact: Maya Benyehuda Tel: 310 454 3080 Cell: 310 699 9431 Fax: 310 943 1978 http://www.ballantinespr.com

2008 Ulam Memorial Lecture Series

A Cooperative Species

How We Got to Be Both Nasty and Nice

The Santa Fe Institute cordially invites you to a series of three lectures by

Samuel Bowles

Professor, Santa Fe Institute and Univesity of Siena

September 16, 17, and 18, 2008

All Lectures at 7:30 p.m.
James A Little Theater
1060 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505

James A Little Theater1060 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505

James A Little Theater1060 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505

James A Little Theater1060 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505

This series of lectures explores the human tendency to cooperate, often in surprising ways. We are cooperative animals and frequently engage in joint projects for the common benefit on a scale extending beyond the family to include total strangers. We do this even when contributions to the project are costly and yield little private benefit. Examples are upholding social norms even when a transgression would not be noticed, warfare, and actions to preserve the natural environment.

Lecture 1 September 16: A Cooperative Species (or Are we Just Afraid Someone May be Looking?)

Lecture 2 September 17: Altruism, Parochialism, and War: Rambo meets Mother Teresa

Lecture 3 September 18: Machiavelli’s Mistake: Why Policies Designed for “Wicked Men” Fail

For more information about the Santa Fe Institute please visit: www.santafe.edu.

The Santa Fe Institute is a private, not-for-profit, independent research and education center founded in 1984, for multidisciplinary collaborations in the physical, biological, computational, and social sciences. Understanding of complex adaptive systems is critical to addressing key environmental, technological, biological, economic, and political challenges.

Renowned scientists and researchers come to Santa Fe Institute from universities, government agencies, research institutes, and private industry to collaborate in attempts to uncover the mechanisms that underlie the deep simplicity present in our complex world.

SAMUEL BOWLES, (PhD, Economics, Harvard University) is Research Professor at the Santa Fe Institute where he heads the Behavioral Sciences Program. He is also Professor of Economics at the University of Siena. He taught economics at Harvard from 1965 to 1973 and at the University of Massachusetts, where he is now emeritus professor. His recent studies on cultural evolution have challenged the conventional economic assumption that people are motivated entirely by self-interest. These have included the mathematical modeling and agent-based computer simulations of the evolution of altruistic behaviors by means of multi-level selection and behavioral experiments in 15 huntergather and other small-scale societies. Bowles’ current research also includes both theoretical and empirical studies of the role of incomplete contracts in labor markets and financial markets in explaining income inequality.

His scholarly papers have appeared in Science, Nature, American Economic Review, Theoretical Population Biology, Journal of Theoretical Biology, Journal of Political Economy, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Behavioral and Brain Science, Philosophy and Public Affairs, Journal of Economic Literature, Journal of Economic Perspectives, and the Economic Journal.

Maya Benyehuda
Ballantines PR
maya@ballantinespr.com
Tel: 310 454 3080
Cell: 310 699 9431

Contact:
Sandy Vaillancourt
sandy@recursos.org
505-577-2472

Changing the Tourism Experience
Creative tourism conference defines a new travel experience

“Tourism is too important to be left to the marketers. It needs to be managed and owned by the community to insure that the benefits are realized,” Robert McNulty, the founder and president of Partners for Livable Communities, recently commented. When a destination’s genuine culture and nature are preserved, visitors get a true sense of the place, which is what they are after. “People keep looking for originality. They don’t want to recreate their experience in your town, they want to enjoy what the town has to offer.” This concept is at the heart of the creative tourism experience.

Mr. McNulty will explore further the role of tourism, creativity, and community as one of the keynote speakers at the Santa Fe International Conference on Creative Tourism. The conference will be held at the new Santa Fe Community Convention Center, September 28–October 2, 2008 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The civic vision and ownership of tourism McNulty refers to also have long-lasting benefits for a city. “Tourism is a form of community development,” McNulty continued. “Cities have needs that visitors can financially support. By balancing the tourism infrastructure with existing city services, the year-round resident has a higher quality of life.” The goal of creative tourism is to engage visitors more completely by encouraging a deeper understanding of a place, increasing the vitality of the local tourism industry.

This community-based model is supported by Greg Richards–an originator of the ‘creative tourism” concept, international authority on tourism, and another conference speaker–and Julie Wilson in their 2007 book, Tourism, Creativity and Development; “…the concept of ‘creative tourism’ as originally conceived by Richards and Raymond places the onus on the destination to actively identify those areas of creativity which can be anchored in the destination and developed as specific products and experiences.” Using a creative tourism model, communities both preserve their heritage and make it available for visitors to experience.

While travelers are thinking hard about how to get the best vacation for their money in today’s economic environment, creative tourism offers something with lasting value. The opportunities for visitors to interact with the local culture in an intimate way deliver the kind of original experience Robert McNutly refers to, making return visits more likely and establishing tourists as an ongoing resource for the community.

The U.S. tourism industry is expected to slow in 2008. However, over the next 10 years, the industry is predicted to grow, increasing the contribution to the US Gross Domestic Product from $5.899 billion in 2008 to $10.855 billion in 2018 and adding almost 580,000 jobs in the same time period, according to a study by the World Travel & Tourism Council. Through a comprehensive schedule of theoretical and practical activities, the Creative Tourism Conference intends to provide instruction on putting the creative tourism experience to work so communities can prosper during this future period of growth.

Mornings at the conference are planned for discussion. Afternoons will include useful sessions on creative tourism fundamentals, hands-on creative tourism experiences, and how-to sessions for implementing creative tourism in a variety of ways, from agritourism to gastronomy to the arts. In addition to Mr. McNutly and Mr. Richards, the conference includes an outstanding group of guest lecturers and leaders in creativity and tourism from around the world who will help facilitate and guide conversation on various topics. Finally representatives of UNESCO’s* Creative Cities Network from Montreal, Edinburgh, Seville, Berlin, Bologna, Aswan, Popayan (Colombia), and Buenos Aries will be presenting ways in which their cities are using creative tourism. Santa Fe, with its rich cultural influences and highly creative population, was designated the first UNESCO Creative City in the U.S. and is a living example of creative tourism at work.

Creative entrepreneurs, city and urban planners, tourism professionals, community leaders, municipal economists, creative industry developers, educators, cultural experts, and artists will all benefit from the skills learned during this unique participative conference. Conference registration, schedules, and information is available online at www.santafecreativetourism.com .

*United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

The Santa Fe International Conference on Creative Tourism is being organized by the City of Santa Fe in collaboration with the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

For Press information: Steve Lewis, 505-473-9002, mailto:slewis@earthlink.net

Contact
Steve Lewis
LOCAS Communications
505.473.9002
Fax: 505.473.3899
slewisnm@earthlink.net
 

So Sweet Records
To Host All-Star Lineup at
14th Annual Nocturnal Festival

Following the huge success of the So Sweet stage at Insomniac Events record breaking Electric Daisy Carnival and an event attendance of nearly 73,000 (making EDC 2008 the biggest dance/electronic event of all time in the US), So Sweet is once again teaming up with Insomniac Events and announcing an all-star lineup for the So Sweet Electrodome at Nocturnal Festival, believed to be the world’s first electro event held in a dome, a capacity of 10,000 people. So Sweet, the international electronic music and lifestyle company, is bringing some of the most sought after names in electro dance to the festival which will be invading the NOS Center in San Bernardino on September 13, 2008. The So Sweet Electrodome lineup includes (click title to link to bios):

Digitalism	Craze
So Me	Le Castle Vania
Little Boots	A1 Bassline
Twocker	Computer Club
Kesh	Eli Smith

As the underground movement goes mainstream, Nocturnal is anticipating record numbers of electro/electronic/dance music lovers this year, and with it’s A-list lineup, the So Sweet Electrodome is certain to be a crowd favorite.

So Sweet has struck innovative T-Shirt/Performance deals w/ co-headliner So Me and upcoming club DJ sensation Kesh. So Me is art director for world renowned electronic label Ed Banger records and winner of a MTV VMA award as director of Justice’s D.A.N.C.E. video and has designed a custom limited edition shirt especially for his appearance at the So Sweet Electrodome. Kesh will also be releasing a specially designed shirt for So Sweet which is again limited edition and will debuted at Nocturnal Festival.

So Sweet is at the forefront of a changing music industry. The two year old full-service label specializes in coordinating music tours, artist management, merchandising, artwork design, and music distribution, and has its fingers on the pulse of what is new and exciting in the growing electronic dance music genre. With branches in the US, UK, and Japan, So Sweet has extensive access to today’s hottest music across the globe, and has worked with other artists such as Ladytron, Crystal Castles, Dan Deacon and Lies in Disguise.

With a presence at South By Southwest, Electric Daisy Carnival, and now Nocturnal Festival, So Sweet Records is gaining a firm footing in the music world, and gaining fans amongst music lovers worldwide.

For more information on So Sweet Records, please visit: http://www.myspace.com/sosweetrecords

For more information or to get press passes to cover the So Sweet stage, please contact:

Maya Benyehuda
Tel: 310 454 3080
Cell: 310 699 9431
Fax: 310 943 1978
http://www.ballantinespr.com

Smythson Launches Capsule Men’s Collection The new men’s range for the Autumn Winter 0809 takes inspiration from the art world to create a striking collection comprising the Lippiatt Writing Folder. Slim Travel Wallet, Card Case, Passport Cover and the new Watch and Accessory Cabinet. All pieces have black pigskin leather exteriors with the interior revealing a grid composition of block primary colours in blue, red, yellow and white. The Watch and Accessory cabinet features a perpetual motion watch ‘rocker’ that pulls out to reveal secret storage at the rear of the cabinet. There are 2 additional drawers for 8 more watches, a deep drawer for belts and sunglasses and drawers for cufflinks, tie pins, pens and documents. The cabinet can be a stand alone piece or slot into a home safe.

For press enquiries or sample requests please contact Smythson Press Office: USA, East Coast: Elizabeth Kent ekent@kentandco.com 617-424-6364 USA, West Coast: Maya Benyehuda maya@ballantinespr.com 310-454-3080

Maya Benyehuda
Ballantines PR
maya@ballantinespr.com
Tel: 310 454 3080
Cell: 310 699 9431

Exhibition of Blown Glass
by Einar and Jamex de la Torre
Visits National Hispanic Cultural Center

The National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque announces the opening of “Meso-Americhanics (Maneuvering Mestizaje) de la Torre Brothers and Border Baroque” September 12, 2008, 6 p.m., with a free public reception in the Center’s Art Museum. On September 20, 2008, brothers Einar and Jamex de la Torre will lead a free tour of their exhibition, beginning at 1:30 p.m.

The National Hispanic Cultural Center is located at 1701 4th Street SW on the corner of 4th Street and Avenida César Chávez.

Einar and Jamex de la Torre are a two-man bi-national renaissance, traveling between National City, California and Ensenada, Mexico on a weekly basis. Their parallel appreciation of both cultures and personal experiences lead them to create art free of labels and feeds their desire to preserve the survival of the possibility of doing something new. They translate their creative passion and critical thinking into intensely collaborative, opulent and monumental blown glass, mix-media works. And, even though their art constantly addresses and questions complex issues, they love a joke, a visual pun, hidden symbols and wordplay. “The National Hispanic Cultural Center continues to establish itself as one of the premier art destinations in the country,” said Michael Cerletti, Secretary of the New Mexico Tourism Department. “‘Meso-Americhanics’ promises to both entertain and stimulate all who see it. We encourage all New Mexicans and their visitors to take part in this special event.”

For the de la Torre Brothers nothing - and everything - is sacred, including politics, religion, tradition, and geographical location. Visually and socially timely, Einar and Jamex de la Torre have their fingers on the pulse of popular culture and excel in peeling off layers of the 21st Century transnational world. Their edgy creations, fusions of glass, cast resin, popular arts, video, and dollar-store treasures unmistakably defy designation and veer into a new place that might be known as Border Baroque.

Center Visual Arts Director, Dr. Tey Marianna Nunn said, “Wait until you see this incredible work - the de la Torre brothers are funny and courageous. They mix up everything about their bi-national experience and influences and spit it out.”

The brothers were born three years apart in Guadalajara, Mexico and moved to Orange County, California when they were in elementary school. Nationally and internationally recognized masters of the specialized technique of glass blowing, both brothers studied at California State University in Long Beach and taught at the preeminent Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington.

Recipients of numerous awards, they recently were honored with both 2007 Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award and the 2007 Joan Mitchell Foundation Award. “Meso-Americhanics” is organized by the Center’s Visual Arts Program and the Museum.

For a complete listing of programs and activities at the National Hispanic Cultural Center call 505-246-2261 or visit www.nhccnm.org. Art Museum hours are Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for seniors and free for children ages 16 and younger. The Center is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Hispanic arts and culture at the state, national and international levels and is a Division of the Department of Cultural Affairs.

For more information contact Dr. Tey Marianna Nunn, 505-246-2261 ext. 116 or tey.nunn@state.nm.us; or Danny López, 505-246-2261 ext. 120 or danny.lopez@state.nm.us

Mike Stauffer, Communications Director, New Mexico Tourism Department
505-827-7379, mike.stauffer@state.nm.us

Contact
Mike Stauffer
Communications Director
New Mexico Tourism Department
505-827-7379
mailto:mike.stauffer@state.nm.us%22

Contact:
Rachel Mason
Ballantines PR
rachel@ballantinespr.com
505 795 5353

Pueblo of Jemez
Museum of History and Culture
Presents
Remembering Our School Days:
Education in the Jemez Valley

Jemez Pueblo, NM– The Pueblo of Jemez announces the opening of a new exhibition focusing on the 127 year history of formal education in the Jemez Valley, in which the hundred-year-old school at Jemez Pueblo played a central role. The exhibit will take place in the Museum of History and Culture located at the Walatowa Visitor Center, 7413 Highway 4, Jemez Pueblo. Opening ceremonies will take place at 10:00 am on Saturday, August 16, 2008, and be followed by a historical symposium that will continue through Sunday, August 17. “Remembering Our School Days” will run through February 2009, and will include an interactive storyboard and ongoing heritage and oral history projects in collaboration with local school communities. The exhibition and related events are funded by a grant from the New Mexico Council for the Humanities, and are designated a “We the People” project by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The Museum of History and Culture introduces our patrons to the history, culture, and experience of the Jemez people as told in our own words and voices, while involving the visitor as participant and observer. Visitors will find themselves engaged in a journey from the time of our origins through centuries of migration, change, and adaptation into the new millennium. The history of institutionalized education at Jemez is a relatively new chapter in that story of change and adaptation, characterized by new forms of cultural negotiation and sharing. The Franciscan school at Jemez, founded in 1906, became a source of tribal educational autonomy while fostering unique bonds with the surrounding village communities. This exhibit will trace the school’s evolution alongside the emergence of BIA and public education in the valley. All were characterized by pioneer educators, intent on educational innovation, from the first missionary and frontier school houses, to the first charter school on tribal land in the State of New Mexico.

Weekend Symposium Presenters

• Dr. Joe Sando, Jemez Tribal Historian
• Dr. Jennifer Nez Denetdale, Historian and Oral History Specialist
• Dr. Mary Belgarde, Educational and Sociocultural Specialist
• Father Jack Clark Robinson, OFM, Franciscan Historian
• Sister Karen Kuta, OSF, Former Teacher, San Diego Mission School
• Mark Thiel, CA. Historian/ Archivist, Marquette University Archives
• Richard Sanchez, Jemez Historian
• Susan Diggle, Writer-Historian

The Pueblo of Jemez is located approximately 50 miles NW of Albuquerque in an area abundant in recreational and historic sites. For more information, contact Monique Sando at the Walatowa Visitor center, at (575) 834-7235. You may also visit us virtually at www.jemezpueblo.com

Contact:
Rachel Mason
Ballantines PR
mailto:rachel@ballantinespr.com%22
Tel: 505-216-0889
http://www.ballantinespr.com

Kyle Patrick Alvarez:
Redefining filmmaking

In a film industry dominated by rehashed plotlines, Kyle Patrick Alvarez epitomizes the new ‘do it yourself’, independent perspective on filmmaking. The Los Angeles based writer and director has been generating a lot of buzz with his new independent film, Easier with Practice.

Alvarez grew up in the Miami Latino community as a first generation American in his Cuban family. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Motion Pictures and English Literature from the University of Miami, and then moved to Los Angeles to begin work in the movie industry while keeping his directing dreams close at hand. He quickly landed a job working for Warren Beatty until inspiration struck. After reading the GQ article, “What are you Wearing”, by Davy Rothbart, Kyle left his job and committed himself fully to creating a feature film based on the story. Without any formal representation, Kyle pursued the rights to the article on his own and quickly began to write the screenplay for Easier with Practice. He spent the next year fine-tuning the script and raising the financing for the film.

Even though the film is currently in post-production, people have been flocking to the movie’s website to view Alvarez’s video blog. In front of a camera at his laptop, his insightful video diary entries illustrate his ability to maintain his creative vision while still working on a fast-paced production. For Alvarez, making a point of saying dreams can come true is a must. He’s determined to demystify the filmmaking process and share the knowledge he’s gained with other like-minded young filmmakers.

Alvarez and his crew filmed his movie with the new RED camera. Abandoning film and tape, the RED camera shoots straight to a hard drive and allows the user to directly transfer the raw shooting footage to a laptop. In fact, the entire editing process of the film has been completed on a consumer level laptop. This has enabled Alvarez to make decisions during the filming of Easier with Practice be controlled not by the amount of film in the camera or its cost, but by the creative process.

What started out as a magazine article, the film Easier with Practice promises to be a work created by a filmmaker not influenced by the long development times, large budgets and pressures of working in the Hollywood norm. The film and its director are fueled by creativity and the desire to make a low budget film without compromise. In a world of spin-off’s and remakes, Kyle Patrick Alvarez offers a new hope for the independent filmmaking process.

For more information on Kyle Patrick Alvarez and Easier with Practice please visit

http://www.ballantinespr.com/bpr_blogw/www.easierwithpractice.com.

Contact
Cara Morrissey
Ballantines PR
cara@ballantinespr.com
310 454 3080
www.ballantinespr.com

CONSTANZA HOOL

Famed Mexican ballerina and world-class choreographer passed away of natural causes in Santa Monica, California July 20th. Constanza had a weekly television show for 17 consecutive years in the golden age of television in Mexico in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. She won the Silver Goddess 14 years in a row for the best choreographer. Constanza co-founded the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico with Amalia Hernandez.

She toured the world dancing and choreographing with the leading ballets of her day. She was the first woman to dance in the Taj Mahal, the Parthenon, and the basilica of Santa Prisca.

As an actress she worked in dozens of films along side Mexico’s top talent like Cantiflas and Alfonso Arau as well as in a few Hollywood films. She was an inspired professor of dance and taught at Universities around the world. She created the first dance department to issue BA’s and MFA’s in Dance in Latin America.

She is survived by her sons producers Lance and Conrad Hool and grandchildren Christopher, also a producer, casting director Carla Hool, Santa Fe Studios president Jason Hool, and Brett and Veronica Hool.

To view downloadable high resolution photos, visit this page, Constanza Hool.

To read the Spanish version, Fallecio Constanza.

Contact
Virginia Lawrence
Ballantines PR
virginia@ballantinespr.com
818-577-6698

Selling at the Santa Fe Art Auction

If you have art you are prepared to sell, the SFAA will make the entire process an easy and profitable endeavor.

Get an Evaluation

The first step in the process is to determine whether your property is suitable for the SFAA. This can be done by arranging for a consultation with the SFAA specialist who will evaluate your artwork free of charge and in absolute confidence. (We do not work with furniture, stamps, coins, or firearms.)

If visiting our office is not convenient, it is possible to have a basic estimation done by mail or email. To attain a mail evaluation, please print and fill out the online form for an auction estimate request and mail it to us along with photos of your item(s). If you would prefer to use email to expedite the process, please send your images with the estimate request to curator@santafeartauction.com.

Determine Estimates

Estimates reflect our expert opinion as to the current value of an individual item. The estimate, expressed as a low and a high dollar value, is determined by comparing your item to similar items sold in auction and other venues. Condition, provenance, and other factors are also used to evaluate the work. Estimates reflect the potential of the item but are no guarantee that the item will sell within that range. As is often the case, competitive bidding results in higher than expected results.

Define Terms and Conditons

Sales commissions, the amount we charge the consignor to sell the item, are based on the potential auction value of the property. Please call us for commission rates. The cataloging and photography fee will be determined based on the number of pieces you consign into the auction.

Set Reserves

For each of your items, a minimum price called the reserve can be set, below which your property will not be sold. This reserve price will be held in strictest confidence. If bidding ceases before your reserve price has been met, the lot will be bought-in, or passed, by the auctioneer. In this case, you may have the property returned to you or you may choose to re-offer it in a future auction.

Promote Your Artwork

Once we have a signed contract the promotion of the property begins. After being professionally photographed, your property goes onto our website and into our full color print catalog. We have extensive marketing through a PR team, a print advertising campaign, direct mail, special events, and previews. Well ahead of the auction day, all lots are posted online and made accessible to millions of potential bidders.

Free Insurance

Unlike many other auction houses, we charge no storage or insurance fees. Once we take receipt of your property, it is insured under our policy throughout the auction.

Contact
Peter L. Riess
Vice President
Executive Director
Santa Fe Art Auction
http://www.santafeartauction.com
PO Box 2437, Santa Fe, NM 87504
505-954-5858
curator@santafeartauction.com

Rachel Mason
Ballantines PR
505 795 5353
rachel@ballantinespr.com

Contact
Joan Sotkin
505-471-8594
JoanS@ProsperityPlace.com

Michael Hice
505-690-8056
michaelhice@earthlink.net

New Website Promotes New Mexico
As Healing Destination

SANTA FE, NM– For the first time, Santa Fe residents and visitors alike can easily find and experience practitioners and businesses that cater to those interested in natural healing through NewMexicoNaturalHealing.com. The site features the comprehensive natural healing community that thrives in Santa Fe and New Mexico- known as a “healing place” for centuries-making the state the premier alternative-healing destination in the United States.

NewMexicoNaturalHealing.com brings together, in a directory format, practitioners and businesses that offer products and services designed to improve health and well-being naturally. The site’s initial focus is the healing community and related businesses in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Taos, and outlying areas. Directory listings include spas, skin care salons, meditation and yoga centers, and other businesses as well as individual and group practices. The site also includes events listings and a product catalog.

Represented are a wide selection of practitioners ranging from the more traditional, such as chiropractors, acupuncturists, and integrative medicine physicians, to the esoteric such as energy therapists, crystal healers, folk healers, and practitioners using state-of-the-art frequency devices. There are also sections of natural treatments for pets and resources for healthy houses.

To those who live in northern New Mexico, the area has long been known as a healing mecca. The state abounds with healers of all kinds, many evolving from ancient native traditions, others intuitively drawn here. In addition, both Albuquerque and Santa Fe have a variety of schools that teach healing arts, including massage, acupuncture, and various energy therapies. Graduates of these schools, enamored by the peaceful lifestyle, often relocate here.

Spearheading the project is Joan Sotkin, president of Prosperity Place, Inc. who has twelve years of ecommerce and Internet marketing experience as well as a 30-year involvement with alternative healing. Joan knows how to create health and prosperity- from the inside out. After years of struggling physically as well as financially, Joan found her calling at age sixty when her Web site ProsperityPlace.com became an Internet sensation. Her dynamic personality and holistic approach to achieving health and wealth have made her a sought-after coach, speaker, and workshop leader. Her thirty years of research into the connection between emotions and money and an equally long personal relationship with alternative healing blazes a pathway to health and prosperity through personal growth rather than quick fixes.

Site design and maintenance will be done by Xynergy, a Santa Fe company headed by Jennifer Martin.

Contact
Steve Lewis
LOCAS Communications
Steve Lewis
1916 Camino Lumbre
Santa Fe, NM 87505
505.473.9002
http://www.ballantinespr.com

SUMMER SOLO PROJECTS:
5 ARTISTS. 5 SOLO PROJECTS. 5 SATURDAYS

Kristine Moran, Hunter Gatherer, 2008, oil on panel, 36 x 66″

July 12 - August 21, 2008
Kinkead Contemporary

Kinkead Contemporary energizes summer with a series of five intensive solo exhibitions. Staggered to open every Saturday night for 5 weeks, each project takes place in one room of the gallery and runs for a week and a half. The dynamic formatting encourages a unique hybrid between group show and project space exhibition.

Artists include: Maura Bendett (July 12 -24), Erik Oost (July 19-31), Britton Tolliver (July 26-Aug.7), Kyle Kilty (Aug.2-14) and Kristine Moran (Aug.9-21)

Maura Bendett received her B.F.A. and M.F.A. from UCLA. Her work has been exhibited in group shows such as Pink at Arena 1 Gallery (2007), Flourish at Torrance Art Museum (2006), Contemporary Art Since 1960 at LACMA (2001), and Sig-Alert at the Arizona State University Art Museum (1999). Bendett’s work has also been seen in solo exhibitions at Roberts + Tilton (L.A.) and Post Gallery (L.A.) Bendett resides and works in Los Angeles.

Erik Oost received his MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art this spring. Since 2001, Oost’s work has been exhibited at Kathleen Cullen Fine Arts (New York), Art Detour (Seattle) and The Museum of Contemporary Art, Detroit. Oost’s work was featured in Alma Mater at Kinkead Contemporary in March of 2008. Recently, Oost was awarded the Daimler Award in Painting. Upon his completion at Cranbrook, Oost relocated to New York.

Earlier this year, Britton Tolliver’s work was included in Alma Mater at Kinkead Contemporary. Tolliver’s paintings have been included in Summer Group Show at Angell Gallery in Toronto and Can I Borrow Your Spaceship? at Contemporary Art Institute in Detroit, Michigan. He received his MFA from Cranbrook in 2006, and moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he currently lives and works.

After receiving his M.F.A. from Claremont Graduate University, Kyle Kilty attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Kilty’s work has been included in group exhibitions at the Torrance Art Museum (2007), The Riverside Art Museum (2006) and the Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico (2003) among others. Kilty lives and works in Los Angeles.

Kristine Moran received her MFA from Hunter College in New York this year. Moran’s most recent solo exhibition took place at Skew Gallery in Calgary. Other solo exhibitions have included The Dissolution Plan at Angell gallery (Toronto) and Blast Radius at Sis Boom Bah (Toronto). Moran lives and works in New York.

About the Gallery
Kinkead Contemporary is a new contemporary art gallery dedicated to emerging artists. Founded by collector John Kinkead, the gallery’s mission is to introduce new voices through an ambitious series of solo and curated group exhibitions.

Over the next 24-months a series of co-curated group shows are planned in concert with leading emerging gallerists from Chicago and New York. A native of California, John Kinkead is a graduate of both The Art Institute of Chicago and Cranbrook Academy of Art. A passionate art collector and patron, he is a member of the MOCA Contemporaries as well as LACMA’s Print and Drawing Council.

For further information, please contact:
John Kinkead
Kinkead Contemporary
6029 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
310 838-7400
john@kinkeadcontemporary.com
http://www.kinkeadcontemporary.com/

Contact
Cara Morrissey
Ballantines PR
mailto:cara@ballantinespr.com%22
tel: 310 454 3080
fax: 310 388 6027
cell: 310 499 3033

GET Interactive Announces Partnership with VERSUS
to Provide Interactive Shopping Opportunities
for Outdoor Enthusiasts on VERSUSCountry.com

GET Interactive announces that starting this month, VERSUS viewers will be able to immediately learn more about the brands and even buy the gear featured in their favorite hunting and fishing shows from the network’s new, cutting-edge web site VERSUSCountry.com. The new partnership between GET Interactive and VERSUS marks the first time ever that consumers can shop a television program from the content owner’s website using GET Interactive’s patented technology.

GET Interactive works with VERSUS and advertisers to identify brands that appear in VERSUS programming and then consumers simply log on to VERSUSCountry.com and point and click on selected items, marked with a GET spot, to launch a product panel including a link to a point-of-purchase or other brand engagement. Consumers can click through to a new browser window where they are delivered to a brand’s desired destination; all without disrupting their online viewing experience.

Rick Harrison, CEO of GET Interactive, says, “We are thrilled to partner with VERSUS to make their online and mobile content shop-able. VERSUS viewers are avid fans of outdoor sports and gear aficionados, making them the ideal demographic for this type of interactive marketing. With outdoor programming, the brands and equipment are as much the stars of the show as the hosts. This creates a perfect environment for GET to provide a one-to-one branding interaction with a highly targeted, highly engaged consumer.”

For viewers, this is a new and simple way to interact with and purchase coveted equipment from their favorite shows used by the top authorities. At the same time, consumers can view how gear is worn and used by the pros in a real setting before making a purchase. For brands, the result is highly targeted brand engagement and consumer interaction.

“Millions of outdoorsmen and woman in the U.S. come to VERSUS for the best outdoor programming on television and we are always looking for new ways, across all multimedia platforms, to super-serve this highly passionate audience,” said Kim Armor, Senior Vice President of Finance & Business Development for VERSUS. “Partnering with GET Interactive offers a unique way to enhance the overall viewing experience and solidifies VERSUSCountry.com as the most interactive online destination for hunters and anglers.”

A leading provider of technology-based advertising and entertainment branding solutions, GET Interactive is an advertising technology company that allows consumers to shop for products that appear in video content while creating an opt-in advertising platform for brands. The company’s advertising technology helps marketers create the ultimate branding environment while giving content producers and web publishers’ new revenue streams. The company has offices in Winston-Salem, NC, with additional offices in South Carolina, San Francisco and Tampa Bay.
http://www.getinteractive.tv/

VERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 73 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Stanley Cup Playoffs as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, Davis Cup Tennis, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12 and Mountain West. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events that audiences can’t find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.
http://www.versuscountry.com/

For more information on GET Interactive, please contact:

Contact:
Maya Benyehuda
Ballantines PR
maya@ballantinespr.com
Tel: 310 454 3080
Cell: 310 699 9431
http://www.ballantinespr.com

Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta:
A World Class Culinary Destination in the Southwest
September 24-28, 2008

Credentialed press are invited to apply for a press trip to the fabulous Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta. This press trip is limited to a very small number of press participants.

Press trip highlights include:

• Wine dinners with world class chefs.
• The Grand Wine Tasting Event.
• The auction.
• One or more classes with an accomplished local chef.
• The pleasures of Santa Fe.
• Three night stay at a fabulous Santa Fe hotel.
• Flight to Santa Fe.
• Ground transportation from Albuquerque Airport to hotel and all events.

http://www.santafewineandchile.org/

Press trip itineraries will be available soon. For more information, a full brochure, interviews with chefs and sommeliers, and accommodations information, please contact:

Rachel Mason
Ballantines PR
505 795 5353
rachel@ballantinespr.com
http://www.ballantinespr.com

Experience Cultural Heritage
of Cowboy Life
in Northeast New Mexico

The legend of the American cowboy – independent souls, with a rough and ready nature, driving cattle across the wide-open plains - is alive and well in Northeast New Mexico.

From Harding County (where residents claim there are more cows than people) to the vast ranches of Colfax County, one can sense the spirit that tamed the Wild West in Northeast New Mexico.

Today, the ranch life of Northeast New Mexico is richly colored by Spanish and American Indian influences. These large ranches were originally acquired through Spanish land grants in the 1800s, and still are working ranches after all these years.

This summer and fall, celebrate that heritage first hand: stay at a working ranch; enjoy a chuck wagon dinner and sing cowboy songs by the campfire; explore ghost towns scattered across the land; or enjoy the wide open spaces and the almost-tangible sense of history blowing in the wind.

“Small-town festivals represent family heritage throughout New Mexico,” said Michael Cerletti, Secretary of the New Mexico Tourism Department. “The friendly folks in rural Northeast New Mexico have been entertaining family and friends for many years. I invite you to join them.”

Experience this cultural heritage of cowboy life at a number of events this summer throughout Northeast New Mexico, including:

• Solano Starlight Ballroom Dances, August 30 and September 27, 6-10 p.m., at the Harding County Community Building in Solano. George Bullfrog & the Turquoise Trailers (July 26 and September 27) and the Modern Swing Pioneers (August 30). Get together with neighbors and friends, share a meal and dance under the stars. Call 800-526-0482.
• Guadalupe County Fair and Rodeo, July 31-August 3, in Santa Rosa. Call 505-472-3652.
• Harding County Fair, August 7-9, in Roy. Events include livestock judging, Little Wrangler Rodeo, and cowboy feed, and conclude with a dance. Visit www.hardingcounty.org
• Quay County Fair & Kiwanis High Plains Junior Rodeo, August 16, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., in Tucumcari, featuring exhibits, livestock show, crafts, food, and fun.
• Nara Visa Cowboy Poetry & Song Gathering, September 19-21, located in the small ranch town of Nara Visa in Quay County. This is one of the more traditional cowboy events in America, featuring chuck wagon breakfasts and dinners; an ice cream social September 19, 5:30 p.m.; cowboy poetry and cowboy music September 20 and 21, 7-9 p.m.; and matinee September 21, 2 p.m. Visit www.naravisacowboygathering.blogspot.com or call 575-633-2773.

For more information about Northeast New Mexico, call Janet Webb at Webb Design in Taos, 575-758-3447, or visit http://nenewmexico.org/pdfs/NENM_CowboyTourism.pdf

Contact
Mike Stauffer
Communications Director
New Mexico Tourism Department
505-827-7379
mailto:mike.stauffer@state.nm.us%22

Contact:
Rachel Mason
Ballantines PR
rachel@ballantinespr.com
505 795 5353

You are cordially invited to attend
Bruce Hulse’s book signing of
Sex, Love and Fashion
at West Hollywood’s
Book Soup store on August 5th

WHEN:
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
7:00pm

WHERE:
Book Soup
8818 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90069

Synopsis:
You may think you’ve heard everything about the modeling industry from Tyra Banks, but Sex, Love, and Fashion is the real behind-the-scenes scoop, from a true insider who is considered one of the top ten male models of all time.

In the glamorous galaxy of modeling, Bruce Hulse was a supernova. Taken under the wing of famed photographer Bruce Weber as a fledgling model, Hulse went on to collaborate with the industry’s biggest names as one of the world’s top male models.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the exciting world of top models was filled with sex, drugs, and countless other indulgences. Bruce Hulse is one of the most recognizable figures of that time; from his iconic Calvin Klein and Levi’s ads to his appearance on the cover of GQ, his face defined an era. In Sex, Love, and Fashion, Bruce shares the true stories of his globe-trotting career working with some of the industry’s biggest names—Calvin Klein, Janice Dickinson, Herb Ritts, Elle Macpherson, Andie MacDowell, Paulina Porizkova, and Cindy Crawford among them—and also details the exhilarating successes and painful failures he experienced on his way to the top.

Bruce Hulse pulls back the curtain on the life of an international supermodel and reveals everything the cameras don’t expose. Sex, Love, and Fashion is a dishy, sexy, and honest look at what really happens to beautiful people playing in the often decadent fields of fashion glory.

Sex, Love and Fashion is available in stores starting August 5th!

The book signing event is open to the public. For more information about the event, please click on the following link:
http://www.booksoup.com/Details.asp?ProductID=800

Media inquiries may be directed to:
Erika Maya
Ballantines PR
erika@ballantinespr.com
Tel: 310 454 3080
Cell: 310 850 0309

Helene Phillips’
4 Easy Steps to a BITCHIN’ BODY

Helene Phillips, the mind, body and soul guru to the elite dance world, has released her four easy steps to getting a stunning physique. Helene is a world- class dancer, choreographer and Emmy-nominated director who has worked with renowned stars like Madonna, Michael Jackson and John Travolta. Having worked at the top of her industry for the past several decades, Helene has cracked the code to getting the perfect dancers’ body.

Helene recommends these expert tips of the trade:

Whether you want to get fit for summer, avoid the dreaded holiday weight gain or keep your youthful looks, Helene’s four easy steps will surely change the way you feel in mind, body and soul.

For more information on Helene Phillips and her expert advice, please contact Cara Morrissey at Ballantines PR.

Cara Morrissey
Ballantines PR
cara@ballantinespr.com
Tel: 310 454 3080
Cell: 310 499 3033
http://www.ballantinespr.com

Celebrate the Spirit of the Season
With a Christmas Getaway
or Relaxing Post-Holiday January Break
at Sunrise Springs Resort Spa

Santa Fe, New Mexico– Christmastime in Santa Fe is a magical season. A festive and evocative mood permeates the entire city: snow-covered adobes illuminated by flickering farolitos, sweet homemade biscochitos with Mexican hot chocolate, a high-desert sky lit by winter constellations.

Sunrise Springs Resort Spa, New Mexico’s original green resort, is located on the grounds of former hacienda and stagecoach stop on the historic Camino Reál, just minutes from Santa Fe’s downtown plaza. Continuing the tradition of hospitality, the magnificent 70-acre property boasts fifty-eight elegantly appointed rooms and private casitas, surrounded by walking paths and meditative winter gardens.

With Executive Chef Eric Laslow at the helm, the cuisine at the Blue Heron Restaurant speaks to a love of food based in cultural traditions. Chef Eric brings a unique culinary philosophy to our restaurant, known for its use of local, natural, and organic ingredients. “For cuisine to have sincerity,” he says, “it must connect one to his cultural, natural and agricultural heritage.”

Chef Eric will be sharing his passion for the holidays by presenting distinctive culinary offerings for hotel guests, family gatherings, and groups:

• A Cuban-inspired dinner with courses such as Lechan Asado (whole roasted pig), Turrone (a Spanish almond confection), and Vanilla-Infused Flan, all complemented by live, themed musical offerings.
• A whimsical Christmas carol dinner featuring dishes inspired by lyrics to traditional holiday songs (such as “chestnuts roasting on a open fire,” “Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat,” and “oh, bring us a figgy pudding”).
• With his passion and knowledge of champagnes and sparkling wines, Chef Eric (former partner and Executive Chef of Denver’s acclaimed champagne bar and nightspot, Corridor 44) presents a unique five-course New Year’s Eve dinner–each course is paired with specially chosen champagne. With live music and packages featuring overnight accommodations, it’s a great way to start the New Year!

In further celebration of the peaceful and quieter aspects of the season, Sunrise Springs will be lighting more than 300 farolitos (small paper-bag ensconced votives, “little lanterns” in Spanish) in their labyrinth ceremonial circle. An ancient symbol that embodies both wholeness and transformation, the labyrinth serves as a metaphor for the journey to the center of one’s deepest self–and back out again. You are invited to celebrate the themes of the winter solstice by walking the Sunrise Springs labyrinth in the spirit of contemplation.

Then warm your soul by curling up in front of one of the property’s many indoor fireplaces… or by luxuriating in a hot stone massage at Sunrise Springs’ Spa Samadhi. Savor the time and space to create your own Christmas gifts at the resort’s Sages Art Center. The Sages staff is happy to customize your holiday with personalized group or individual classes in Japanese Raku pottery techniques or Chinese brushwork, for example. You can also explore your creativity by putting the finishing touches on pre-made dishware.

Whether you are celebrating the holidays in high style or taking a well-deserved break from the hustle and bustle of the season, Sunrise Springs offers tranquility to guests and visitors alike.

To plan your winter getaway, visit our website: www.sunrisesprings.com.

Or call our reservationist directly, at 800-955-0028.

For more information, contact:
Rachel Mason
rachel@ballantinespr.com
Ballantines PR
Tel: 505 216 0889
Mobile: 740 525 0866
Fax: 505 820 1746