BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® Gin, Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, And Complex Media Call Upon Artists Nationwide To Enter The 3rd Annual BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Artisan Series

CORAL GABLES, Fla., May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- BOMBAY SAPPHIRE®, Russell & Danny Simmons' Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation and Complex Media announce the kickoff of the 3rd Annual BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Artisan Series, when the next wave of artists seeking national breakthrough is invited to enter the galvanizing competition. Since its launch in 2010, the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Artisan Series has been committed to identifying the nation's finest undiscovered talent in the field of visual arts.  Last year, the competition received more than 3,000 submissions and precipitated the sale of seven works of art from the program's national finalist pool, together totaling more than $100,000 in value.

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With last year's exceptional caliber of talent and the support and partnership of Russell and Danny Simmons' Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, it is evident the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Artisan Series has cemented its mark in the creative community. Artists intending to prosper from this fast flourishing competition can enter by creating a piece of inspired, original art and submitting it via www.Complex.com/SapphireArt or www.Facebook.com/BombaySapphire by August 24, 2012.  Once all entries have been received, fans will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite piece of art by logging on to the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Facebook page. 

"The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Artisan Series has established itself as a platform for emerging artists who seek to shape our contemporary cultural landscape—artists who look to defy boundaries with the power of their imagination," says Russell Simmons, chairman of GlobalGrind.com and co-founder of the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation. "With the extraordinary success of last year's program, I am excited to see what emerges from this year's roster of talent."

In 2011, New York mixed media artists Miguel Ovalle and Lerone Wilson were announced as the winners of the 2nd annual BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Artisan Series. Of his win, Ovalle said, "No other challenge or personal victory has opened as many doors in my career as this one."  Wilson added, "I am always looking for outlets to better educate and expose a larger audience to my unfamiliar medium, encaustic. The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Artisan Series gave me a platform from which to reach a national audience and increase visibility both for my work and for the medium." 

This year, submitted work will be reviewed by the program's esteemed panel of judges, including Rush Philanthropic Vice Chairman, Co-Founder and artist Danny Simmons, program curator Andre Guichard, Atlanta-based artist Charly Palmer and other guest curators and museum heads from around the country. "The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Artisan Series offers opportunities for artists in all stages of their careers to shine. When one enters this contest the work is judged on merit alone.  "It is a wonderful thing to step out onto a level playing field," says Danny Simmons. "I for one enjoy discovering the new and awesome talent that is represented. The national exposure this contest brings is a great career boost for these artists."

Following the submission phase, the panel will invite select artists to display their work at a sequence of gallery exhibits and events, taking place from July through October in Atlanta, Detroit, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and New Orleans. One artist from each local event, along with two artists who enter the competition via its online platform, will be chosen to compete in the finale during Art Basel Miami, recognized as one of the world's premier art events. Following the blockbuster Art Basel finale, co-hosted by Russell and Danny Simmons, two winners will have their work installed at Rush Arts Gallery and Resource Center in New York City's Chelsea arts district for the month of February 2013.

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Senior Brand Manager Richard McLeod says, "BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin has a long history of commitment to the arts and a well-established identity within the creative community.  It gives us such pleasure to be able to help provide a platform for new talent to gain the recognition they deserve."

Over the past decade, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE has been honored to support aspiring filmmakers, designers and artists in unlocking their potential and sharing their imagination with the world. After a nine-year, evolving presence during Art Basel Miami and within numerous other artistic forums, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE anticipates its 3rd year of the Artisan Series program will be its most influential and exciting creative enterprise to date.

For more information on the Artisan Series, please visit www.complex.com/SapphireArt.

For more information on Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation visit www.rushphilanthropic.org

About BOMBAY SAPPHIRE

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® is the fastest growing premium gin in the world and world's number one premium gin by value.  BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is created with a unique combination of ten hand-selected botanicals, sourced from around the globe. The brand's global essence and signature vapor infusion process impart a refined and perfectly balanced taste, versatile enough for both classic cocktails and exotic recipes.  Infused with Imagination, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is a symbol of the exploration of worldly and sophisticated lifestyles. For more information, please explore www.bombaysapphire.com.  

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About Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.
Bacardi U.S.A., Inc. is the United States import and distribution arm of one of the world's leading spirits and wine producers. The company boasts a portfolio of some of the most recognized and top-selling spirits brands in the United States including BACARDI® rum, the world's favorite and best-selling premium rum, as well as the world's most awarded rum; GREY GOOSE® vodka, the world-leader in super-premium vodka; DEWAR'S® Blended Scotch Whisky, the number-one selling blended Scotch whisky in the United States; BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, the top-valued and fastest-growing premium gin in the world; CAZADORES® 100 percent blue agave tequila, a leading premium tequila in Mexico and a top-selling premium tequila in the United  States; MARTINI® vermouth, the world-leader in  vermouth; and other leading and emerging brands. For additional information, visit www.bacardiusa.com.

ABOUT RUSH PHILANTHROPIC ARTS FOUNDATION

Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation is dedicated to providing underserved urban youth with significant exposure and access to the arts, and to offering exhibition opportunities for underrepresented artists and artists of color.  Rush was founded in 1995 by three brothers: Danny Simmons, visual artist and community builder; media mogul Russell Simmons; and Joseph "Rev. Run" Simmons of the legendary hip-hop group Run-DMC.  Their goal was to fill the gap that poor and minorities face in both accessing the arts and exhibition opportunities.  Over the past 16 years, Rush has served over 700,000 urban youth and has developed a broad base of friends, collaborators and supporters dedicated to addressing these issues. In addition to the 2,300 students served each year in its education programs, Rush exhibits the work of 40 to 50 emerging and community-based artists in its galleries; welcomes over 10,000 gallery visitors; and provides unique opportunities for young people interested in careers in the arts.  Rush currently operates two galleries, Rush Arts Gallery and Resource Center in Chelsea (Manhattan) and Corridor Gallery in Clinton Hill (Brooklyn).

Rush Philanthropic believes that if you give young people the opportunity to practice and appreciate art—whether poetry, music, dance or the visual arts—you will see lives transformed. Nurtured in early childhood, and anchored in sustained, creative experiences throughout one's life, it is through art that we see young people learn to value their own unique voices and visions; and it is through art that we see artists transform the minds and eyes of society.

About Complex Media
Complex Media is the leading provider of style, entertainment, lifestyle and product content dedicated to emerging trends for young male tastemakers. The company launched in 2002 with Complex magazine, a men's style guide and lifestyle publication with a current circulation of 350,000.  Complex Media expanded to include flagship web site Complex.com (www.complex.com), which attracts more than 5 million unique monthly visitors; as well as the Complex Media network of 110+, 100% exclusive web sites targeting men 18-34, generating more than 518 million pageviews and more than 48 million unique visitors per month.

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