CiesaDesign Honoree for Exemplary Business Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ARTSERVE MICHIGAN PREVIEWS ITS 2008 HONOREES

Lansing’s CiesaDesign Selected as an Honoree for Exemplary Business Award at the 23rd Annual Governor’s Awards for Arts & Culture Gala

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – ArtServe Michigan, producers of Michigan’s longest running, largest statewide awards gala recognizing leaders in the arts, today announced CiesaDesign of Lansing has been selected as an Exemplary Business Award honoree. Other honorees to be recognized within the category include Macy’s of Minneapolis and Oakwood Healthcare System of Dearborn. The recipient in this award category will be announced and honored at the 23rd Annual Governor’s Awards for Arts & Culture (The Guvvys), November 13, 2008 at the Detroit Institute of Arts. The award is traditionally presented each year to a Michigan business or business-related organization that has dedicated extraordinary support to artists, arts and cultural organizations, or arts educators in Michigan.

In total, 22 artists, arts and cultural organizations, arts educators and civic and business leaders from across the state of Michigan will be named as Guvvy honorees for their dedication to arts and culture, within 10 different categories, including: Arts Advocate; Civic Leader; Non Profit Arts and Cultural Leader; Arts and Cultural Organization (under and over $1 million); Exemplary Business; Michigan Artist Lifetime Achievement; Michigan Innovative Artist; Arts Education Organization; and Arts Educator. Also being honored, the 2008 International Achievement Award recipients: director/producer/writer/lyricist Jack O’Brien and musician Bob James.

“Michigan is home to a wealth of creative talents, and we are proud to honor these organizations and individuals,” said Jennifer Goulet, President of ArtServe Michigan. “All of our 2008 award recipients and honorees have helped to cultivate the creative potential of Michigan, its people and communities and express the vision of The Guvvys, rewarding exceptional artistic talent, creativity and innovation.”

CiesaDesign

As a staple to the mid-Michigan arts community for more than 20 years, CiesaDesign has worked with area organizations to share their knowledge in branding, design, production and visual arts services. Logging both paid and pro-bono hours, the staff also is committed to providing in-kind services and connecting nonprofit clients with low cost suppliers or partner donors. Their dedication has shown through notable design works with area festivals, including the East Lansing Art Festival, and significant assistance in initiating (SCENE) Metrospace in East Lansing.

“The firm’s corporate culture believes in giving back to the community and supporting the arts. They recognize that the arts add substantially to our area’s economic development, attraction and retention of young people, and vitality and creativity of community life,” said nominator Bonney Mayers, former director of the East Lansing Art Festival and former outreach coordinator of Kresge Art Museum.

Other honorees in the Exemplary Business category include Macy’s and Oakwood Healthcare System. Macy’s recently partnered with Detroit regional public libraries— through the Library of Michigan Foundation— and the Cultural Alliance of Southeastern Michigan to introduce the Macy’s Museum Adventure Pass (MAP) designed to promote libraries and to provide free access to arts and cultural organizations and institutions. Oakwood Healthcare System helped promote the arts and supported the artistic aspirations of its community through its Arts for the Spirit initiative, a multi-dimensional program that acknowledges the profound impact of the arts in both healing and community.

In its 23rd year, the Governor’s Awards evolved from the Concerned Citizens for the Arts in Michigan’s Governors’ Arts Awards. Concerned Citizens for the Arts in Michigan was a non-profit, statewide citizens cultural advocacy organization, which later merged with three other art organizations, Arts Foundation, Business Volunteers for the Arts and Michigan Alliance for Arts Education, to form ArtServe Michigan in 1997. In 2006, ArtServe Michigan merged with the Michigan Association of Community Arts Agencies to become the new ArtServe Michigan. More than 700 artists, legislators, business leaders, arts managers, board members and patrons from across the state attend the Guvvys each year.

The two-day celebration also includes the Student Event on November 14, 2008 where middle and high school students explore creative career options through a talk-back session with the International Award recipients and hands-on workshops.

About The Governor's Awards for Arts & Culture
Established in 1985 by Concerned Citizens for the Arts of Michigan, The Governor’s Awards for Arts & Culture is the longest running Michigan event recognizing statewide and international leaders in the arts and is Michigan's largest statewide celebration of arts, culture and creativity. Today, the Governor’s Awards is a two-day event celebrating and cultivating creativity in Michigan with an annual gala designed to honor distinguished achievement and meritorious work in arts and culture by individual artists, cultural and educational organizations, arts educators, businesses and individuals, and a Student Event designed to inspire young creative minds to explore creative career possibilities. This year's gala will take place on Thursday, November 13, 2008 at the Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Mich. For more information visit www.theguvvys.org.

About ArtServe Michigan
ArtServe Michigan is a statewide nonprofit organization that seeks to cultivate the creative potential of Michigan’s arts and cultural sector to enhance the public health and well-being of Michigan, its people and communities. .Located at the Riley Broadcast Center in Wixom, ArtServe advocates for arts, culture and creativity throughout the state, encourages quality arts education in schools and communities and provides support services for artists, arts educators and arts and cultural organizations. For more information, visit www.artservemichigan.org or contact ArtServe Michigan at 248-912-0760.