Art and Business Find Common Ground: Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Announces Annual Art Exhibition in Partnership with Cranbrook Academy of Art

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Oct. 1, 2014  /PRNewswire/ -- Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC today announced the 2014-2015 installation of its annual Experiencing Perspectives art exhibition, featuring artwork from the graduate students of Cranbrook Academy of Art. The installation is the company's largest to date, and represents a partnership between art, education and business that remains the only one of its kind with the country's top-ranked graduate program in architecture, design and fine art. The exhibition was celebrated at the company's community art reception in its regional headquarters in Farmington Hills Tuesday evening, with several VIPs, including: Mercedes-Benz Financial Services President and CEO Peter Zieringer; Director of Cranbrook Academy of Art and Art Museum Christopher Scoates; Dean of Cranbrook Academy of Art Sarah Turner; and Farmington Hills Mayor Barry Brickner.

"Our unique partnership with the Cranbrook Academy of Art has enriched our work environment and enabled us to support emerging and established artists working and studying in our community for more than a decade," said Zieringer. "As the program has grown, so has our ability to develop meaningful connections between business and the arts."

In addition to the art installations, the program offers employees interesting opportunities to engage in art tours, visual thinking discussions and community events. Employees also showcased their own creative talents by participating in a biannual employee art show, which was also featured at the art reception.

Another signature element of the company's partnership with the Cranbrook Academy of Art is the Mercedes-Benz Financial Services' Emerging Artist Award, which recognizes the artistic promise of a graduating artist with a grant and accommodations to live and work for two months in Berlin, Germany.

The recipient also has the opportunity to participate in a personalized networking program with Mercedes-Benz Financial Services' Berlin partner, the Kuenstlerhaus Bethanien, which includes introductions to members of the international art community.

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services' Experiencing Perspectives art program includes several creative partnerships that bring rotating exhibitions of artwork into Mercedes-Benz Financial Services facilities in the U.S. and Canada. The program began in 2001, when the company partnered with the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. In 2008, the program expanded to the company's Fort Worth, Texas, Business Center through partnerships with the art schools of Southern Methodist University and Texas Christian University. In 2009, Experiencing Perspectives expanded to Mercedes-Benz Financial Services' Canadian headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario, through a partnership with OCAD University in Toronto, Ontario.

"Through our various community relationships, art has become part of our foundation that bridges community and workplace culture together," added Zieringer. "Some may wonder if it adds value in a business environment. I would say it absolutely has played a valuable role in expanding perspectives, inspiring creative thought and cultivating innovative ideas."

For more information about Mercedes-Benz Financial Services' Experiencing Perspectives art program and community art partnerships visit:

Website: www.mbfs-art.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mymbfs
Twitter: @MercedesBenzFS #mbfsART
Instagram: #mbfsART

About Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC
Mercedes‐Benz Financial Services USA LLC, headquartered in Farmington Hills, Mich., with Business Center Operations in Fort Worth, Texas, provides brand‐specific financial products and services for Mercedes‐Benz and smart automotive dealers and their retail customers. In the U.S. trucking industry, it conducts business as Daimler Truck Financial and provides flexible financial products and services for Daimler Trucks North America commercial vehicles branded Freightliner, Western Star, Thomas‐Built Bus and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, Inc. Mercedes‐Benz Financial Services USA LLC serves as the headquarters for operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil, and has approximately 1,700 employees throughout the Americas. It is a company of the Daimler Financial Services Group, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, which does business in 40 countries and has an employee base of more than 8,000 people worldwide. Daimler Financial Services is one of the leading financial services organizations worldwide. For more information, please visit www.mbfs.com/corp or facebook.com/mymbfs.

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SOURCE Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC