Bank of the West Supports the International Orange Art Exhibition

SAN FRANCISCO, May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of the West is a proud sponsor of a signature event celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge. International Orange – named after the color used to paint the bridge – is an art exhibition that will feature on-site installations responding to the bridge as an icon, historic structure, and conceptual inspiration. The exhibition opens Memorial Day weekend, May 26 – May 28, at the historic Fort Point building at the southern base of the bridge. Admission to Fort Point is free and the art work will remain on view through October 2012.

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"We're proud to join the Bay Area community in celebrating the 75th anniversary of one of San Francisco's most famous landmarks," said Maria Lazzarini, executive vice president and head of the Northern California Division for San Francisco-based Bank of the West.  "Our support for International Orange celebrates the Golden Gate Bridge and also recognizes the important role that arts organizations play in contributing to the well-being and vibrant nature of our city. We're pleased to be a part of a project that encourages public access to the arts. International Orange is sure to be a unique art experience for Bay Area residents and the thousands of visitors from around the world who will visit San Francisco this summer."

The exhibition will feature installations created by 15 leading artists from the San Francisco Bay Area and around the world in a mix of mediums including found objects, video, sound, photography, and textiles. One of the exhibits by San Francisco artist Doug Hall challenges the familiar picture-postcard vision of the Golden Gate by presenting a pair of contrasting perspectives. Hall's immersive two-screen video projection combines views of the structural grandeur of the bridge with footage of massive container ships passing beneath it. Emphasizing the monumentality of both the ships and the structure above them, the interplay of images reveals the bridge as part of an environment that is at once natural and human-made.

The exhibition is being organized by the San Francisco-based non-profit FOR-SITE Foundation in partnership with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and the National Park Service.

"The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the Bay Area's great works of art. It makes an unforgettable impression, not only on the millions who cross it from around the world each year, but also for those of us who encounter it daily," said FOR-SITE Foundation Executive Director, Cheryl Haines. "The 75th Anniversary is a great occasion to engage a diverse group of artists—all of whom create art that responds to place—to share their inspired perspective with the public, and, in turn, stimulate new appreciation for this iconic structure."

About Bank of the West

Founded in 1874, $62.4 billion-asset Bank of the West (www.bankofthewest.com), member FDIC and equal housing lender, offers a wide range of personal, commercial, wealth management and international banking services. The bank operates more than 700 retail and commercial banking locations in 19 Western and Midwestern states. Bank of the West is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, which has a presence in 80 countries with nearly 200,000 employees.

SOURCE Bank of the West