Designer Ciara Elend Partners with The Creative Coalition at Upcoming Presidential Nominating Conventions to Benefit the Arts

DENVER, CO (August 13, 2008) – Hollywood will be wearing it on their sleeves….not their hearts, but their art. The Creative Coalition’s delegation to the Democratic Convention will be wearing Special Edition Election 2008 Couture Tees to benefit The Creative Coalition’s Arts Advocacy Programs.

Participants in The Creative Coalition’s delegation include Anne Hathaway, Susan Sarandon, Spike Lee, Josh Lucas, Zooey Deschanel, Rachael Leigh Cook, Pras Michel, Ellen Burstyn, Tim Daly, Kerry Washington and other notable who will be representing the entertainment industry during the historic proceedings. The shirts also will be featured at the special performance by the Black Eyed Peas that is hosted by The Creative Coalition.

Ciara Elend’s “Made in America” unique designs will be on display at a series of events hosted by The Creative Coalition during the upcoming 2008 Democratic and Republican National Conventions. The Special Edition couture tees will be available to the public with a portion of the proceeds being donated to The Creative Coalition, the leading nonprofit, nonpartisan social and public advocacy organization of the arts and entertainment community. Visitwww.thecreativecoalition.org and to view the Election 2008 Couture Tee Collection. Or visitwww.ciaraelend.com and click on the Creative Coalition link.

The Creative Coalition continues its tradition of supporting the election process by recognizing the hard work and dedication of both parties and will bring a delegation of entertainment industry leaders to both the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention. The Election 2008 Couture Collection, specifically designed for The Creative Coalition and their delegates, will be worn throughout both conventions by the entertainment industry during a series of events and made available to the public.

“This election is all about choice, change and empowerment,” said Robin Bronk, Executive Director of The Creative Coalition. “People need to get out and vote. By partnering with Ciara Elend and creating this Special Edition Collection we are able to leverage the impact of the entertainment industry to get this critical message out to the public—Get out and Vote!”

“With one of the most influential presidential elections of recent history approaching, The Creative Coalition is delighted to partner with Ciara Elend to further the involvement of entertainment leaders at both upcoming conventions. This collaboration blurs party lines and allows us to heighten the awareness and importance of citizen action,” said Robin Bronk, Executive Director for The Creative Coalition.

A long time visual artist, designer Ciara Elend has supported the arts and artist communities since the inception of her collection and is committed to helping The Creative Coalition raise funds to further their efforts to support arts advocacy. Her American made graphic tees fuse unique modern graphics with old-school block printing to produce a distinct vintage style print. The Special Edition Election 2008 Couture Tees will offer four designs for men and women inspired by vintage election posters and patriotic buttons.

Her inspiration for the Special Edition designs initially came from the overwhelming attention to this historical election by the artist community. “I was fascinated by the support artists across the nation were lending to this election for both parties,” Elend said. “After I came up with my initial concept, I realized the ideal partner to bring this to fruition was The Creative Coalition.”

Elend added, “It is a great honor to partner with The Creative Coalition. So much thought and hard work went into the design of this concept so it is very satisfying to have that recognized by such prominent members of the creative community.”

The Democratic National Convention is in Denver, CO, from Aug. 25 – 28. The Republican National Convention is in Minneapolis, MN, from Sept. 1 – 4.

About The Creative Coalition (www.thecreativecoalition.org)
The Creative Coalition is the premiere 501c(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan social and public advocacy organization of the arts and entertainment community. Founded in 1989 by prominent members of the creative community, The Creative Coalition is dedicated to educating its members on issues of public importance, primarily the First Amendment, public education and arts advocacy. Headquartered in New York City, The Creative Coalition also has offices in Washington, DC, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

For more information, please visit The Creative Coalition’s Web site atwww.thecreativecoalition.org or call (212) 512-5876.

About Ciara Elend
Ciara Elend’s American made graphic tees fuse unique modern graphics with old-school block printing techniques. Each design is carved into a linoleum block to produce a distinct vintage style print.

Her Couture Line for women offers a collection of ultra soft, ultra comfortable vintage style tees and limited edition handmade totes. These luxury tees have the perfect fit for the modern women.

For more information about Ciara Elend, visit www.ciaraelend.com. Click on the Creative Coalition link to view the Election 2008 Couture Tee Collection

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