Scion Installation 5: Self Portrait – Final Show & Online Art Auction Trailer from Scion ART on Vimeo.
SCION LAUNCHES “INSTALLATION 5 TOUR: SELF PORTRAITS” ONLINE AUCTION ON ARTNET.COM TO BENEFIT CREATIVE CAPITAL SEPT. 12 THROUGH SEPT. 30

Collection Features Self Portraits From International Contemporary Artists, Including Blek le Rat, Mark Mothersbaugh, David Choe, Ron English, Jeff Soto, Angela Boatwright, Among Many Others

For the fifth year, Scion auctions off an unprecedented collection of contemporary works to benefit charities and
non-profits that support independent artistic expression.  The Installation 5 Tour collection features literal and non-literal self-portraits of varying cost by international art luminaries, with 100 percent of the proceeds aiding Creative Capital, the premier national artist support organization (www.creativecapital.org).  Audiences around the world can bid online at ArtNet: http://www.ArtNet.com/scion.html.  The auction closes on Sept. 30. Artwork values range from $100 to $17,000 and bidding will begin at 25% of the art’s estimated worth.

“It is an absolute honor to work with these incredible artists in support of visionary arts non-profit organizations,” says Jeri Yoshizu, Scion sales and promotion manager.  “Since we launched the Installation Tour in 2003, we’ve raised more than $190,000 for art-related charities and look forward to continuing our support of exciting and impactful contemporary art.”

About Creative Capital

Founded in January 1999, Creative Capital Foundation is a national nonprofit organization that supports individual artists pursuing innovative approaches to form and content in the fields of performing, visual, literary, and media arts, as well as in emerging arts fields. Creative Capital evolved as a response by philanthropists, arts professionals, artists, and business leaders to government cuts in funding to individual artists. Its model differs from those of traditional grantmakers in that the foundation commits to a long-term approach to working with artists. Artists in Creative Capital’s grant program have access to professional services, including assistance in fundraising, networking, marketing, and strategic planning. In addition, grantees agree to share with Creative Capital a small percentage of any profits made by the project.

Creative Capital Foundation has supported 325 projects, representing 411 artists in their first ten years. For more information on the funded projects and for the latest on the foundation’s activities, visit www.creative-capital.org.

Scion Presents: FLUX SUPER 8 from Scion ART on Vimeo.

SCION INSTALLATION L.A. GALLERY PRESENTS “FLUX SUPER 8”:
EIGHT EMERGING FILMMAKERS, VIDEO ARTISTS AND DESIGN COLLECTIVES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

First Annual “Flux Super 8” Showcase Features Exclusive Installations By The Blackheart Gang, Max Erdenberger, Saam Farahmand, Sophie Gateau, Miwa Matreyek, Terri Timely, United Visual Artists, YesYesNo

Opens Aug. 15 Through Sept. 5

Opening Saturday Aug. 15, eight of the world’s emerging filmmakers, video artists and design collectives present exclusive installations for “Flux Super 8” at Scion’s 4,500 square foot Installation L.A. gallery in Culver City.

The “Flux Super 8” is the first annual showcase that celebrates eight of the most exciting and emerging young artists working in film, video, music and design. Flux is a global creative community and collective led by RESFEST founder Jonathan Wells and designer/gallerist Meg Wells. Flux is an online journal, concept space, film/art/event hub where individuals from various creative fields can meet and share their work. Visit for www.flux.net more information.

As part of this creative expression, the following artists will develop site-specific installations created exclusively for the exhibition, making the works true originals.

The Blackheart Gang, hailing from Cape Town, South Africa, includes illustrator Ree Treweek, creative director Jannes Hendrikz and musician/writer Markus Smit (Wormstorm).  Known for their icy cold bravado, whimsical commercial works and monolithic life long project, “The Household,” the trio presents “The Tale of How,” a short film shrouded in mystery and supernatural forces.  The exhibit features the acclaimed second part of “The Dodo Trilogy” with a full print series, sculptures and the freshly pressed “Tale of How” book.  Visit  www.TheBlackHeartGang.com for more information.

Max Erdenberger works at the intersection of art and technology, whether creating celebrated yet controversial music videos for Gnarls Barkley, promoting environmental responsibility through design, or lending his visual talents to many of the world’s largest brands at Wieden & Kennedy.  The Portland, Ore.-based artist founded Viewers Like You, an international blog dedicated to visual culture and music, and showcases his personal work at www.Central-Office.org.

Saam Farahmand directs films in the context of art, music, fashion, television, performance, virals and documentaries. Farahmand’s bill of buzzworthy films include colorful and clever music videos for Klaxons, Hercules & Love Affair, Janet Jackson and Simian Mobile Disco, a documentary featuring Soulwax, and a fashion film for Alexander McQueen. The London-based artist opened his own gallery, Boyschool, in the city’s East end to support the work of emerging artists and develop future projects.  Visit his portfolio at http://partizan.com/partizan/musicvideos/?saam_farahmand

Sophie Gateau is a multi-disciplinary Parisian artist who explores space and design from the perspective of an architect, art historian, graphic designer and filmmaker.  Gateau began her filmmaking career creating visually stunning live action films for fashion runways and has since worked as a commercial and music video director, as well as a graphic artist on top-tier films including “The Matrix Reloaded” and “The Matrix Revolutions” and Wong Kar Wai’s “2046.” Visit her Web site at  www.sophiegateau.com.

Miwa Matreyek is an award-winning animator, designer and multimedia artist who creates animated short films and performance-based installations that manipulate time vs. real time and composed spaces vs. real spaces.  Based in L.A., Matreyek is the founding member of Cloud Eye Control, a performance media group that tells stories of human adaptation to a technological society using animation, live camera imagery and theatrical expression.  To view her portfolio, visit www.semihemisphere.com.

Terri Timely is a San Francisco-based duo made up of Ian Kibbey and Corey Creasey.  Their award-winning directors craft extraordinary films, commercials and music videos amplifying images and scenes from every day life. Kibbey and Creasey have developed their immersive portraits of hyper-reality for bands including Modest Mouse, Joanna Newsom, Midlake and Bobby Birdman, as well as major brands like Comcast, Amazon, Adidas and Footlocker.  To view their work, visit www.territimely.com.

United Visual Artists (UVA), established in 2003 by Chris Bird, Matt Clark and Ash Nehru, creates large-scale, light-based installations that are as much about spectacle as they are about people.  Each installation translates into a powerful social experience that turns the audience into active participants and collaborators.  The London-based UVA has worked with Giorgio Armani, Prada, Sony, Nokia, The Chemical Brothers and Battles, and continues to research and develop works with a wide range of artists and companies.  Visit  www.uva.co.uk  for images, video and more.

YesYesNo is a new interactive collective founded in 2008 by leading interactive specialists Zachary Lieberman, Theo Watson and Joel Gethin Lewis.  Aiming to develop work that puts creativity and awe at the forefront of interactive media, YesYesNo specializes in creating engaging installations that combine creativity, artistic vision and cutting edge research.  View their latest work at  www.yesyesno.com.

More information on this and previous exhibitions is available at www.scion.com/space.

The opening reception takes place on Aug. 15, 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. at the
Scion Installation L.A. Space, 3521 Helms Ave. (at National), Culver City, CA 90232.  The reception is free with complimentary valet parking and an open bar.  All artists are flown in to install their work and attend the event.  The exhibit will run until Sept. 5, 2009.

Dedicated to fostering independent artistic expression, Scion Installation L.A. is a space that allows artists to explore their creative visions. The Scion Installation L.A. Space hosts art shows and art-related events for cutting-edge contemporary artists from across the globe. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM and by appointment – 310.815.8840.

Scion Installation Five: Self-Portrait Portland from Scion ART on Vimeo.

SCION INSTALLATION L.A. GALLERY PRESENTS: “THE 2009 VICE MAGAZINE PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION”
Ninth Annual Photo Show Features Vice Photographers Jamie Lee Curtis Taete, Maggie Lee and Tim Barber
Opens July 25 Through August 8

Vice, the international arts and culture magazine distributed and published in more than 22 countries, comes to Scion’s Installation L.A. Gallery on July 25 for the ninth annual Vice Photo Show.

Best known for documenting youthful excess, questionable street fashion and powerful scenes of political unrest around the world, Vice presents this exhibition in conjunction with “The 2009 Vice Magazine Photo Issue” and is curated by the magazine’s managing editor Amy Kellner. The acclaimed annual edition has previously featured works from Terry Richardson, Ryan McGinley, Richard Kern, Jerry Hsu, Rennie Ellis and many others.

This year’s exhibition features Vice contributors Jamie Lee Curtis Taete, Maggie Lee, and former Vice photo editor, Tim Barber. Tim is also curating a mini group-show-within-a-group-show of photos featured on his online gallery, tinyvices.com.

Jamie Lee Curtis Taete is a 24-year-old English photographer whose candid images provoke intense reactions, often ranging from awe to disgust.  His work has been featured in Vice, Chief, PerezHilton.com and The Guardian, and has been shown in Mexico, France, Britain, North America and Japan as part of the Tiny Vices traveling exhibition.  Taete is a Vice UK staff photographer and maintains a photo blog at www.jamietaete.com.

Maggie Lee is a zine-maker, Pratt graduate and Vice staff photographer who has developed a chronological archive of her 21 years through captured light and photocopies.  Lee has shown her work in New York, New Zealand and Australia and has recently exhibited her Frenching zine at the New Museum’s “Younger Than Jesus” show.

Tim Barber, a photographer, curator, publisher, designer and former Vice Magazine photo editor runs the online gallery TinyVices.com. Founded in 2005, the site reflects various approaches to photography and allows emerging and underexposed artists to upload their work onto the influential platform.  For this exhibition, Barber will personally install a selection of works from the site.

More information on this and previous exhibitions is available at http://www.scion.com/space.

The opening reception takes place on July 25, 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. at the Scion Installation L.A. Space, 3521 Helms Ave. (at National), Culver City, CA 90232.  The reception is free with complimentary valet parking and an open bar.  All artists will be in attendance and Vice Photo Issues will be available at the event.  The exhibit will run until August 8, 2009.

Dedicated to fostering independent artistic expression, Scion Installation L.A. is a space that allows artists to explore their creative visions. The Scion Installation L.A. Space hosts art shows and art-related events for
cutting-edge contemporary artists from across the globe. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM and by appointment – 310.815.8840.

Feel free to repost.

The show is up through July 11th at Scion’s Los Angeles gallery.
http://www.scion.com/space

FAESTHETIC AND SCION INSTALLATION L.A. GALLERY PRESENT “THIS MUST BE THE PLACE”
Think Faest: Art and Oddities Zine Delivers “Home”-Themed Works By Eight Artists In Two Tones

Opening on June 20, Scion Installation L.A. Gallery in Culver City and Faesthetic magazine present This Must Be The Place, a collection of art and oddities by eight American artists inspired by the zine’s minimally toned aesthetic.

Featuring work from Gluekit, Maxwell Loren Holyoke-Hirsch, Damien Correll, Joel Speasmaker, Matt Curry, Skull Phone, Dan Funderburgh and Jemma Hostetler, the acclaimed multimedia artists and designers explore the theme of “home” with the loose limitation of a two-toned color palette.

Produced and distributed in close partnership with Chicago-based crowd sourced t-shirt company, Threadless.com, Faesthetic began in 2001 as a photocopied zine and developed into a high-quality experimental arts magazine with international participation and readership.

About the artists:

Gluekit: www.gluekit.com
With a firm belief that glue is good, Christopher and Kathleen Sleboda explore design in the forms of typography, visual narration and spatial relationships.  Their illustrations, images, products and type have been exhibited internationally and featured in Typomofo (2009), Over and Over (2008), and major magazines including New York, Rolling Stone, Newsweek, Wired and Nylon.

Maxwell Loren Holyoke-Hirsch: www.lorenholyoke.com
Raised in San Diego by artists, Maxwell’s early life was marked by paint splatters and graphite smudges.  His hunger for new, bold colors inspired him to move north and delicate notions emerged from singed and stormy linework.  Thriving on thematic opposition, controlled chaos and exploration, his images rise from an array of materials, including wood, wax and manually moiled squid ink.

Damien Correll www.damiencorrell.com
Originally from Philadelphia, Damien is a designer and illustrator living in Brooklyn.  Formerly of the Rad Mountain collective, he is now a creative partner at the small design studio Part & Parcel.  His work has been featured in New York magazine, XLR8R, Juxtapoz, IdN, STEP, NOVUM, The New York Times magazine and Faesthetic.

Joel Speasmaker: www.thisisforest.com
Forest is Joel’s Brooklyn-based multi-purpose studio that works in the areas of graphic design, art direction, publishing, branding, Web design and development, illustration and curatorial projects.  As the previous publisher of The Drama magazine, Joel now acts as art director for Anthem magazine.  He has exhibited and curated in galleries including Subliminal Projects, New Image Art, Little Bird, Lump and Okay Mountain, among others.

Matt Curry: www.ninjacruise.com
A graduate in illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design, Matt is the principal of the Washington D.C.-based, award winning design studio Imagefed and has been nominated for two Grammy awards as a designer, illustrator and painter.  His visual language drawn from mythology and religious iconography has graced album and magazine covers, limited edition products and galleries worldwide.

Skull Phone: www.skullphone.com
Skull Phone is a Los Angeles-based artist whose iconic yet morbidly ironic image of a skull holding a cell phone speaks coldly and anonymously to the public through the streets.

Dan Funderburgh: www.danfunderburgh.com
Dan is a wallpaper designer and artist in Brooklyn, NY. His patterns, prints and installations are varied, but demonstrate an unabashed love for decorative arts. With influences ranging from renaissance tapestry to American op art, the work is a repudiation of the fabricated schism between art and decoration. Some of Dan’s work can be found in the collections of the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum and the Miami Museum of Modern Art.

Jemma Hostetler: www.jemmahostetler.com
Jemma Hostetler (née Gura) is an art director and designer working in branding, product, print and interactive. Her work, such as “Prate.com – an aesthetic exploration,” has been featured in numerous reviews and books, including one she co-authored challenging designers to push the boundaries of their creative tools. Jemma is co-founder of Sans Nom, a design studio located in Toledo, Ohio.

More information on this and previous exhibitions is available at www.scion.com/space

The opening reception takes place on June 20, 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. at the Scion Installation L.A. Space, 3521 Helms Ave. (at National), Culver City, CA 90232.  The reception is free with complimentary valet parking and an open bar. The exhibit will run until July 11, 2009.

Dedicated to fostering independent artistic expression, Scion Installation L.A. is a space that allows artists to explore their creative visions. The Scion Installation L.A. Space hosts art shows and art-related events for cutting-edge contemporary artists from across the globe. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM and by appointment – 310.815.8840. For more information, visit www.scion.com/space.

About Scion
Scion, from Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., was developed with a new generation of youthful buyers in mind.  Scion’s mission is to provide distinctive products, the opportunity to personalize, and an innovative, consumer-driven process at the retail level.  The Scion brand features three ground-breaking models with a wide array of standard features: the xD urban subcompact five-door, the iconic xB urban utility vehicle, and the tC sports coupe.  The brand often applies new practices in all aspects of its business and pushes the creativity envelope with non-traditional advertising and marketing to engage young consumers. Scion also supports originality through its programs in the artistic community.  For more information, visit www.scion.com.

Preview images from the show

Scion Installation Five: Self-Portrait San Jose Preview from Scion ART on Vimeo.

Scion’s National Art Tour INSTALLATION 5: Self Portrait Arrives In San Jose, CA

Scion’s Installation 5 Art Tour, which will benefit Creative Capital, arrives in San Jose, Calif. in June. The opening reception will take place Friday, June 5 from 8 p.m. – 12 a.m. at Anno Domini, 366 S. First St, San Jose, CA 95113. Artists Ian Lynam and Peter Glover will be in attendance. DJ Basura will be spinning.

The fifth installment of Scion’s Installation Art Tour was launched in October 2008.  The program is designed to give exposure to both established and emerging artists. Installation 5: Self Portraits highlights a diverse array of artists from around the world and will visit nine cities in total including Miami, New York, Portland, Minneapolis, San Jose, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.  The tour features new markets Phoenix and Detroit, where the show kicked off.

For Installation 5 each artist was asked to create his or her literal, or non-literal interpretation of the theme ‘Self-Portraits’.  Video art will be included for the first time in the tour’s five-year history, alongside painting and photography. Artists on the tour will include: AJ Fosik  (3-D painting), Alex Hornest (painting), Andrew Schoultz (painting), Angela Boatwright (photography), Asylm (painting), Blek le Rat (painting), Christina M. Felice (photography), Codak (painting), David Choe (video art), David O’Brien (painting), Edwin Ushiro (painting), El Yem (video art), Eriberto Oriol  (photography), Eye One  (photography), Francesco LoCastro  (painting), French  (painting), Ian Lynam (video art), J. Shea  (painting), Jamel Shabazz  (photography), Jeff Soto  (painting), Kelsey Brookes  (painting), Kofie  (painting), Lisa Alisa  (painting), Logan Hicks  (photography), Mark Mothersbaugh  (rug), Nicholas Harper  (painting), Patrick Martinez  (painting), Peter Beste  (photography), Peter Glover (video art), RETNA  (photography), Rick Rodney  (photography), Rob Abeyta Jr.  (painting), Ron English  (painting), Saber  (photography), Sage Vaughn (painting), Skypage  (painting), Something In The Universe (video art) Souther Salazar (painting), Stormie Mills (painting), Tessar Lo  (painting), Todd Tourso (painting), Too Tall Jahmal  (photography), Usugrow (painting), Will Barras  (painting), and Yoskay Yamamoto  (painting).

The final tour stop will be at Scion’s own 4,200 square foot Installation L.A. gallery space where all artwork will be auctioned off to the public, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward Creative Capital. The goal of Creative Capital is to create an artistic home and supportive community to nurture some of the country’s most extraordinary artistic creators and to help provide the skills and confidence for these artists to realize their most ambitious dreams. Creative Capital has advanced the careers of 411 grantees through financial support and advisory services, and has reached over 2,200 additional artists through its Professional Development Program in workshops across the country.  As the premiere national artist support organization, Creative Capital is committed to the principal that time and advisory services are as crucial to artistic success as funding. “Creative Capital is honored to have been selected to be part of Scion’s Installation Five art tour,” said Ruby Lerner, president of Creative Capital.  “We are so pleased to partner with an organization that recognizes the critical importance of supporting individual artists and helping to bring the next generation of artists forward.  We look forward to joining Scion as Installation Five continues its tour and shares these exciting projects with audiences across the country.”
For more info: www.creative-capital.org

Last year’s Installation 4 tour raised over $50,000 on behalf of Art From Scrap, an organization encouraging creative expression in the arts and promoting a greater understanding of environmental issues.  Over the last four years Scion’s Installation tour has raised more than $190,000 for art-related non-profit organizations.

Launched in 2003, Scion Installation is a revolutionary art tour affirming the brand’s ongoing commitment to support independent artistic expression and featuring work from an unprecedented collective of contemporary artists, designers and photographers.  Previous participants include: Andre from Paris, Gary Baseman,  Freddi C, Mr. Cartoon, Crash, David Ellis, Daze, Blaine Fontana, Sam Flores, Futura,  Mike Giant, James Jean, Caia Koopman, Krush, Mel Kadel, Mear One, Travis Millard,  Andy Mueller, Andrew Pommier, Ricky Powell, Rammellzee, Rostarr, Kenny Scharf,  Wearesupervision, Chris Yormick and many others.

For more information on the tour, the artists, the artwork and details from past tours
please visit: http://www.scion.com/installation

Scion Presents: ‘1000 DAYS’ Preview from Scion ART on Vimeo.

SCION PRESENTS: 1000 DAYS
Curated by Seth Curcio, founder and publisher of DailyServing.com

1000 Days, curated by Seth Curcio of Daily Serving.com opens on May 23rd at Scion’s 4,500 square foot Installation L.A. Gallery Space in Culver City. The exhibition celebrates the upcoming 1000th feature for DailyServing.com, an online contemporary art publication that showcases some of the most innovative contemporary visual artists working today. 1000 DAYS will present seven emerging artists in the United States whose work represents the graphic aesthetic and innovative artistic process for which the publication’s features are known. These artists, all of whom have been previously featured on the site, work in a variety of mediums including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography and new media.

Collectively, the artists address many of the major issues found in contemporary art today, combining conceptual and aesthetic elements of post-modernism, while highlighting topics such as pop culture, technology, and current social issues, often through the lens of art history. The work of Caleb Weintraub (Bloomington, IN) explores the future of humanity through large-scale hyper-colored narrative paintings, which depict a world where children have taken control and turned against adults. Caleb utilizes humor, pop culture and art historical imagery to illustrate his complex and ongoing narratives. Similarly, Mark Mulroney (Rochester,NY) is an artist whose works are linked together with an unmistakable humor and graphic sensibility. The artist moves seamlessly through several types of media, including installation, painting, drawing and photography, not allowing any one medium to define his practice. For 1000 DAYS, Mark will create a site-specific wall painting. Michael Rea (Chicago, IL) creates highly imaginative would-be technological objects out of obsessively constructed wood. However, the material used renders the objects useless and opens a dialogue about a world of possibilities that simply can never be. The artist often utilizes objects related to popular culture movies, and recreates the idea of that object, forcing it to remain only a dream. Chris Scarborough (Nashville, TN) is a draftsman and photographer who links the archetypes and cultural concepts of cuteness and beauty found in Japanese animation with American pop culture sensibilities. Chris employs a dark humor that seduces the viewer in order to draw a parallel between pop-culture in the East and West.

Julie Henson (Charleston, SC) explores current social issues as they relate to religious extremism in the U.S. Through haunting drawings on frosted mylar, which evoke an unfamiliar mysticism hidden in modern society, the artist is able to highlight cultural and religious trends that are prevalent, but often unnoticed by the average person. Tivon Rice (Seattle, WA) is new media artist that explores how traditional methods of learning are influenced by mass media and digital technology, typically calling for the viewer’s participation to activate the piece. Tivon’s sculptures relate a dialogue between the distanced, purely optical domain of the televisual with a sensual awareness held in our body and mind. Similarly, photographer, Christina Seely’s (San Francisco, CA) images illustrates the worlds reliance and connection to modern technology while creating a tension between the surface documentation of a photograph and the complex reality that lies beyond that surface. Her works investigate how inherent beauty often has the power to obscure a darker and more complicated truth. Matt Phillips’ (North Hampton, MA) approaches painting and collage as both object and illusion, utilizing a methodology that folds the formal concerns of Modernist painting into the intimacy of folk art. Many of Matt’s works create both optical and conceptual illusions, which attempt to create visual rhythm and turn the idea of light into sound.

The opening reception takes place May 23rd, 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. at the Scion Installation L.A. Space, 3521 Helms Ave. (at National), Culver City, CA 90232.  The show will run until June 13th.

Dedicated to fostering independent artistic expression, Scion Installation L.A. is a space that allows artists to explore their creative visions. The Scion Installation L.A. Space hosts art shows and art-related events for cutting-edge contemporary artists from across the globe. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM and by appointment – 310.815.8840. For more information, visit www.scion.com/space

About DailyServing:
Artist, curator and publisher, Seth Curcio, created DailyServing.com in the fall of 2006 as an online publication for the contemporary visual arts. Through interviews, articles, artist videos and daily features, the site serves to highlight the most innovative visual art made today. DailyServing is designed as an information portal, directly linking the user to countless artists, curators, residencies, schools and art spaces from around the world. With an active and growing team of contributors in places such as New York, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, and Sydney, the publication keeps its finger on the pulse of contemporary art, globally.

About Scion:
Scion, from Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., was developed with a new generation of youthful buyers in mind.  Scion’s mission is to provide distinctive products, the opportunity to personalize, and an innovative, consumer-driven process at the retail level.  The Scion brand features three ground-breaking models with a wide array of standard features: the xD urban subcompact five-door, the iconic xB urban utility vehicle, and the tC sports coupe.  The brand often applies new practices in all aspects of its business and pushes the creativity envelope with non-traditional advertising and marketing to engage young consumers. Scion also supports originality through its programs in the artistic community.  For more information, visit www.scion.com.

Scion Announces Creative Capital As Beneficiary of National Art Tour INSTALLATION 5: Self Portrait

Scion’s Installation 5 Art Tour, which will benefit Creative Capital, arrives in New York, NY in May. The opening reception will take place Thursday May 7th from 7pm – 11pm at The Showroom NYC, 117 2nd Avenue (& 7th Street), 2nd floor, New York, NY 10003. Artists Blek le Rat, Christina M. Felice, Edwin Ushiro, Angela Boatwright, Logan Hicks and Tessar Lo will be in attendance. Turntable Lab affiliate Blue Jemz, who recently released a CD through Scion A/V, will be spinning.

The fifth installment of Scion’s Installation Art Tour was launched in October 2008. The program is designed to give exposure to both established and emerging artists. Installation 5: Self Portraits highlights a diverse array of artists from around the world and will visit nine cities in total including Miami, New York, Portland, Minneapolis, San Jose, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.  The tour features new markets Phoenix and Detroit, where the show kicked off.

For Installation 5 each artist was asked to create his or her literal, or non-literal interpretation of the theme ‘Self-Portraits’.  Video art will be included for the first time in the tour’s five-year history,alongside painting and photography. Artists on the tour will include: AJ Fosik  (3-D painting), Alex Hornest (painting), Andrew Schoultz (painting), Andy Howell (painting), Angela Boatwright (photography), Asylm (painting), Blek le Rat (painting), Christina M. Felice (photography), Codak (painting),  David Choe (video art),  Edwin Ushiro (painting), El Yem (video art), Eriberto Oriol  (photography), Eye One  (photography), Francesco LoCastro  (painting), French  (painting), Geoff Oki  (video art), Ian Lynam (video art), J. Shea  (painting), Jamel Shabazz  (photography), Jeff Soto  (painting), Kelsey Brookes  (painting), Kofie  (painting), Lisa Alisa  (painting), Logan Hicks  (photography), Mark Mothersbaugh  (rug), Nicholas Harper  (painting), Patrick Martinez  (painting), Peter Beste  (photography), RETNA  (painting), Rick Rodney  (photography), Rob Abeyta Jr.  (painting), Ron English  (painting), Saber (photography), Sage Vaughn (painting), Skypage  (painting), Stormie Mills (painting), Tessar Lo  (painting), Too Tall Jahmal  (photography), Usugrow  (painting), Will Barras  (painting), Yoskay Yamamoto  (painting) and more.  As the tour travels, more artists will be added to the roster.

The final tour stop will be at Scion’s own 4,200 square foot Installation L.A. gallery space where all artwork will be auctioned off to the public, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward Creative Capital. The goal of Creative Capital is to create an artistic home and supportive community to nurture some of the country’s most extraordinary artistic creators and to help provide the skills and confidence for these artists to realize their most ambitious dreams. Creative Capital has advanced the careers of 411 grantees through financial support and advisory services, and has reached over 2,200 additional artists through its Professional Development Program in workshops across the country.  As the premiere national artist support organization, Creative Capital is committed to the principal that time and advisory services are as crucial to artistic success as funding. “Creative Capital is honored to have been selected to be part of Scion’s Installation Five art tour,” said Ruby Lerner, president of Creative Capital.  “We are so pleased to partner with an organization that recognizes the critical importance of supporting individual artists and helping to bring the next generation of artists forward.  We look forward to joining Scion as Installation Five continues its tour and shares these exciting projects with audiences across the country.” For more info: http://www.creative-capital.org

Last year’s Installation 4 tour raised over $50,000 on behalf of Art From Scrap, an organization encouraging creative expression in the arts and promoting a greater understanding of environmental issues.  Over the last four years Scion’s Installation tour has raised more than $190,000 for art-related non-profit organizations.  Launched in 2003, Scion Installation is a revolutionary art tour affirming the brand’s ongoing commitment to support independent artistic expression and featuring work from an unprecedented collective of contemporary artists, designers and photographers.  Previous participants include: Andre from Paris, Gary Baseman,  Freddi C, Mr. Cartoon, Crash, David Ellis, Daze, Blaine Fontana, Sam Flores, Futura,  Mike Giant, James Jean, Caia Koopman, Krush, Mel Kadel, Mear One, Travis Millard,Andy Mueller, Andrew Pommier, Ricky Powell, Rammellzee, Rostarr, Kenny Scharf, Wearesupervision, Chris Yormick and many others.

For more information on the tour, the artists, the artwork and details from past tours
please visit: http://www.scion.com/installation

About Scion:
Scion, from Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., was developed with a new generation of youthful buyers in mind.  Scion’s mission is to provide distinctive products, the opportunity to personalize, and an innovative, consumer-driven process at the retail level.  The Scion brand features three ground-breaking models with a wide array of standard features: the xD urban subcompact five-door, the iconic xB urban utility vehicle, and the tC sports coupe.  The brand often applies new practices in all aspects of its business and pushes the creativity envelope with non-traditional advertising and marketing to engage young consumers. Scion also supports originality through its programs in the artistic community.  For more information, visit www.scion.com.