"Centennial Celebration"
Giclee print
Image 31.5" x 25" - Edition 260 prints signed and numbered, 24 remarqued artist proofs.
"Centennial Celebration" is a painting commissioned by Nevada's First Lady, Dawn Gibbons, in 2007 to honor the 100th birthday of the Nevada Governor's Mansion. The proceeds from the painting were dedicated to benefiting "The Autism Coalition of Nevada". Autism was one of the criteria for the models invited to participate in this fundraiser to battle the disease.
The celebrities invited to participate in the painting all had a personal connection to autism, either through a family member or a personal relationship with someone affected by the disease. Each celebrity posed individually for their spot in the painting and then signed the limited-edition prints.
The celebrities who participated in the painting are Tom Brokaw - news anchor, and journalist, Efram Zimbalist Jr. - actor, Stephanie Zimbalist - actress, Paul Williams - singer, songwriter, and actor, J.D. Nicholas - Commodores, Wayne Newton - singer, Bob and Suzanne Wright - founders of Autism Speaks, Linda Hart - actress Broadway, television and singer, Larry Hart - singer songwriter, Robert Comstock - fashion designer, Nevada Governors Robert List, Jim Gibbons, Kenny Quinn, Bob Miller, and Nevada Senators Paul Laxalt, Richard Bryan, and John Ensign.
NBC Television signed on to the project to document the painting. The NBC news crew from the local stations came along and produced news stories of the celebrities posing for the painting and were interviewed about autism. The shows were broadcast locally and in Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada. Once completed, an edited story of the project and interviews was produced and can be seen on YouTube. You can click on the following links to view the story.
