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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>NEWS
RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:line id="_x0000_s1026" style='position:absolute;
z-index:251660288' from="0,0" to="457.2pt,0" strokeweight="2.25pt" /><![endif]--><![if !vml]><span
style='mso-ignore:vglayout;position:relative;z-index:251660288'><span
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width=614 height=4 src="cid:image001.png@01C98E12.BD3CBE40" v:shapes="_x0000_s1026"></span></span><![endif]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<br style='mso-ignore:vglayout' clear=ALL>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>CONTACT:
</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>
Missy S. Toms, 216.521.2540 x22 or <a href="mailto:mtoms@beckcenter.org">mtoms@beckcenter.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>
February 13, 2009<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoBodyText><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoBodyText align=center style='text-align:center'><b><i><span
style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class=MsoBodyText align=center style='text-align:center'><b><i><span
style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Calling All
Photographers!</span></i></b><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoBodyText align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Communities
Collaborate for <i>Focus 2009</i> Art Competition</span></b><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Lakewood, OH —</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <b>Beck Center for
the Arts</b>, in collaboration with Solon Center for the Arts, is proud to
announce <b><i>Focus 2009</i></b>, a photography competition bringing
communities together through art. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Amateur photographers (adults and students) are
eligible to submit their competition entries no later than <b>February 27, 2009</b>.
The competition is juried with cash awards in all
categories—people/portraits, architecture/cityscape, nature/landscape,
animals, botanicals, macro, and “Best in Show.” Applications
are available on the Beck Center website at <a href="http://www.beckcenter.org">www.beckcenter.org</a>.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>An opening ceremony, which is open to the
public, will be held 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, March 13 at the Solon
Community Center at 35000 Portz Parkway. The <i>FOCUS 2009</i> photography
exhibition will be on display <b>March 20 through April 17, 2009</b>, at the
Beck Center for the Arts, 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood. For exhibition
hours, call the Beck Center at 216-521-2540 ext. 10.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>“We are so pleased to host this
exciting competition and exhibition with our colleagues in Solon,” says
Beck Center associate director of Visual Arts Susan Gallagher. “The
collaboration between these two exceptional arts organizations is key to the
success of Focus 2009. We hope to make this partnership an annual celebration
of artistic talent in Northeast Ohio.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Focus 2009</span></i><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> is presented by KeyBank with
additional support from the Parks & Recreation departments of the cities of
Aurora, Twinsburg and Streetsboro. Programming at the Beck Center is provided
by the generous support of Cox Communications and the Ohio Arts Council. <span
style='color:black'>Beck Center also gratefully acknowledges the citizens of
Cuyahoga County for their support through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Beck Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit
501(c)3 organization that offers professional theater productions on two
stages, arts education programming in dance, music, theater, visual arts, early
childhood, and creative arts therapies for special needs students, and gallery
exhibits featuring local and regional artists.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>###<span
style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#5F5F5F'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#5F5F5F'>Posted by:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#5F5F5F'>Fran Storch<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#5F5F5F'>Beck Center for the Arts<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#5F5F5F'>Publications Manager<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#5F5F5F'>17801 Detroit Avenue<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#5F5F5F'>Lakewood, OH 44107<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#5F5F5F'>(216) 521-2540 x20<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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