(SACRAMENTO , September 11) – Sacramento will play host to the Award Winners of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Landscape Sculpture Competition when the International Tour opens at the Convention Center October 9, 2008. Inspired by the sculptures of ancient Athens, the Beijing Olympic Landscape Sculpture Exhibition brings images of the Olympic Movement to the world, visiting cities from the five continents. Each sculpture also reflects the essence and the universal values of the Olympic spirit – unity, friendship, progress, harmony, participation and dreams. After a nation-wide tour beginning on Olympic Day – 23 June – this year in Beijing, the exhibition started its international kick-off in London, host city of the next edition of summer Olympic Games in 2012, then traveling to cities that have already hosted the Games, such as Athens, Seoul, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Barcelona, Rome and Sydney, passing through other cities like New York, Los Angeles, Wellington, and the Olympic Capital, Lausanne, with a stay in the Olympic Museum. On display in Sacramento will be approximately half of the 110 sculptures that comprise the International Tour of Finalists in contention for 29 gold, silver and bronze medals to be awarded in Beijing for the 29th Olympiad. In China the winning artists will oversee enlargement of their works to monumental size for display throughout Olympic venues.Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo will head the host committee that will welcome Beijing Olympic Games delegates and dignitaries, local officials, Olympic athletes and sponsors to the opening ceremonies and activities related to this prestigious event.Other honored guests will include the three American finalists featured in the International Tour of Award Winners, Edward Eyth, Carole Turner, and the team of Asherah Cinnamon/ Scott Fuller.This International Tour is the culmination of a vast program organized by the Beijing games Organizing Committee. The first stage of the project was to collect designs for “landscape sculptures” from around the globe. With the participation of 90 countries, 290 designs from the five continents were selected by a panel of 17 international judges from a total of 2,433. The short-listed works were identified, then reproduced in triplicate in the appropriate materials (bronze, stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), to allow for several exhibitions simultaneously in China and abroad.Among the 290 short-listed designs were 10 Americans: Edward Eyth, Carole Turner, Asherah Cinnamon/Scott Fuller, along with Mark & Diane Weisbeck, Robert LaRocca, Shray, Wanxin Zhang, Kirovsolomon Kiril Vanessa, Orlay Gutierrez, and Shi-Jia Chen.
The Sacramento Convention Center Opening Ceremonies will take place October 9 at 5 p.m.
It is planned that a number of the sculptures from the Convention Center will be moved to the Art Foundry Gallery after October 11 for events there, including a private sponsor reception to take place October 12. Shray will have a sculpture on display at this location and at related Art Foundry events.
All events in Sacramento are scheduled to conclude October 22, 2007.
The Sacramento Convention Center is located at 1400 “J” Street. Hours are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily. This is a free event.
The Art Foundry Gallery is located at 1021 “R” Street, Sacramento. Hours vary.
BEIJING OLYMPIC SCULPTURE NEWS 
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