Chevrolet Presents Essence With Special SSR NEW ORLEANS, July 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Chevrolet blew the lid off the Essence Music Festival (EMF) by presenting the Essence Music Festival team with a custom SSR today. The vehicle, boasting original artwork by Margaret Slade Kelley, will be auctioned off at a later date, and proceeds will benefit the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts|Riverfront (NOCCA|Riverfront). Essence urges people to visit http://www.essencemusicfestival.com/ after the music festival is over for details on the auction. "We wanted to do something really special to commemorate the Festival's 10th anniversary," said Nate Love, Chevrolet marketing manager. "The number 10 is very important to both EMF and Chevy. As the festival celebrates its 10th anniversary, Chevy is in the midst of bringing 10 new products to the market in 20 months. We think the number '10' is a great thing to have in common!" NOCCA|Riverfront is Louisiana's arts conservatory for high school students. Essence selected NOCCA|Riverfront as beneficiary for the SSR donation because the school so closely resembles what the EMF is all about. "Essence shares Chevrolet's commitment to community. We wanted this gracious gift to benefit an organization working with our youth," said Edward Lewis, publisher and chief executive officer of Essence Communications Partners. "We believe that the phenomenal work NOCCA|Riverfront has accomplished with young people over the years perfectly reflects the dedication that is important to us and the future of America." The SSR's hood is the canvas for "Creole Lady" - an image that brings together the Essence Music Festival and the African American experience. Chevy commissioned the work from Kelley who is known for combining social, expressive and personal images in her work. In 1995, Kelley created three pieces of artwork that served as the backdrop for the Essence Magazine 25th Anniversary Awards telecast. "Creole Lady" is a mosaic of oranges, reds, blues and greens and is placed in the historic French Quarter of New Orleans. "The woman in the painting represents all that is Essence - she has beauty, strength and ability," said Kelley. "She is surrounded by men who are adorned with masks in honor of their ancestors and heritage. The steps empower the rising up of a people who are inspired to reach new heights. The background combines a traditional New Orleans balcony while the pattern in the stage drapery flows to the rhythm of music." Chevrolet has been an Essence Music Festival sponsor for the past five years. Chevy's strong ties to the festival reflect its dedication to community and philanthropy, Love said. "Chevrolet is involved in a variety of community, youth and scholarship programs and has worked with great partners like Essence as part of our commitment to give back to our loyal and valued customers. We are very excited Essence has selected NOCCA|Riverfront as the ultimate beneficiary of our gift," Love said. Now in its 30th year, NOCCA|Riverfront provides intensive training in dance, media arts, music (jazz, classical, vocal), theatre, (acting, theatre design, musical theatre), visual arts and creative writing to public, private and parochial school students from across Louisiana. The school boasts many prominent alumni, including Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Harry Connick, Jr., Nicholas Payton and Jeanne-Michele Charbonnet. Chevrolet is one of America's most well-known and successful automotive brands. With the largest dealer network in the United States, Chevy is the leader in full-size trucks and the leader in sales of vehicles priced $35,000 and above. In addition, Chevrolet delivers more-than-expected value in every vehicle category, offering cars and trucks priced from $9,995 to $52,000. Offering dynamic yet timeless designs, Chevy owners demand great looks that don't go out of style, high performance per dollar, and features expected in more expensive vehicles. Chevrolet's global headquarters is at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit. For more information, go to http://www.chevy.com/ . DATASOURCE: Chevrolet CONTACT: Carolyn Normandin of Chevrolet Communications, +1-313-667-4079, E-mail: ; Anthony Neely of GM Communications, +1-313-665-9536, Email: ; Rhonda Evans of Essence Communications, +1-212-642-0676, Email: ; or Richard Read of The NOCCA Institute, +1-504-940-2808, Email: Web site: http://media.gm.com/ http://www.gm.com/ http://www.chevy.com/ http://www.essencemusicfestival.com/

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