Electric Warrior x Gibson Guitartown on the Strip Auction

 

The Gibson GuitarTown on The Sunset Strip project originally launched in 2010 with a range of guitars that celebrate musicians and personalities who have influenced the boulevard. These guitars were auctioned in 2011 for charity with 100% of the proceeds benefitting local charities Los Angeles Youth Network, West Hollywood Arts & Cultural Commission and West Hollywood Library. The 2012 edition features 18 art guitars created by internationally acclaimed and local artists, including Shepard Fairey, John Kosh andRISK and celebrates musicians and artists who have influenced The Sunset Strip, including The Doors, Buffalo Springfield, Stevie Nicks, British Rock Invasion and Van Halen, among others. The 2012 collection features guitars that have been signed by influential musicians, including Stephen Stills, Peter Asher, Donovan, John Densmore, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, Zakk Wylde, and members of bands Dead Sara, Black Label Society and Bad Religion.

“We are happy to continue our partnership with Gibson Guitar to bring this public art project to life,” noted Sunset Strip Business Association executive director Todd Steadman. “The guitars provide an interactive walking tour and celebrate the history of this dynamic music boulevard. We are honored that so many local and nationally recognized artists have dedicated their time to help celebrate this history and those who have shaped it.”

“On behalf of Gibson Guitar I’d like to personally thank each and every musician and visual artist who took time out to help make this one of the best Gibson GuitarTown charitable projects to date,” stated Gibson Guitar Corp. chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz. “I have no doubt the residents and local businesses of Los Angeles will dig deep to help raise a significant amount of money for the Los Angeles Fund’s ‘Arts Matter’ program, supporting music and the arts for underserved youth in the city.”

The Los Angeles Fund for Public Education is a philanthropic organization dedicated to driving positive change in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Founded by LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy and philanthropist Megan Chernin in 2011, the LA Fund supports ideas that can make a dramatic and direct impact on kids’ lives and make sure those ideas have the support to be permanent. The LA Fund for Public Education recently launched the “Arts Matter” campaign to revitalize arts education in the nation’s second largest school district. Arts Matter brings together the world’s leading artists and thought leaders (celebrities, Fortune 500 CEOs, policy makers) to drive public awareness for the critical role of arts education in public schools. Each day LAUSD serves nearly 1 million students from Pre-K to adult, nearly 80% of whom live in circumstances of poverty. With more than 1,000 school sites spread over a 710 square mile attendance area, few public agencies in the world impact so many lives.

“We are grateful that the Sunset Strip Business Association and the Gibson Guitar Foundation chose the LA Fund as the beneficiary of the GuitarTown Auction,” noted LA Fund executive director Dan Chang. “With our Arts Matter campaign underway, we couldn’t be more proud of this partnership. With the support of the SSBA and Gibson, we will look forward to bringing the arts and creativity to West Hollywood and Los Angeles public schools.”

The full list of 2012 art guitars includes:

●     “Bella Donna” mosaic tile guitar inspired by Stevie Nicks. Created by Roberto Chojniak.

●     “Black Eyed Peas” acrylic and photo-wrap guitar inspired by the Black Eyed Peas. Created by Tsipi Mani.

●     “British Invasion” acrylic painted guitar celebrating British bands and musicians who have influenced rock and roll and The Sunset Strip. Created by Todd Williamson and signed by producer/signer/songwriter Peter Asher.

●     “The Butterfly Effect” mixed media guitar celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Rainbow Bar & Grill, a landmark that has hosted rock legends, including John Lennon, Elton John, Ozzy, Led Zeppelin, over the years. Created by Nic Adams.

●     “Cosmic Essence” acrylic painted guitar inspired by Donovan. Created by Grammy Award-winning artist John Kosh and signed by Donovan.

●     “Electric Warrior” acrylic painted guitar inspired by Marc Bolan of T-Rex. Created by Shepard Fairey.

●     “Festival Guitar” acrylic painted guitar created by attendees at the 2012 Sunset Strip Music Festival, celebrating community.

●     “Freedom” acrylic painted guitar in the expressionist manner celebrating freedom and spontaneity as well as The Sunset Strip’s role in allowing musicians to blaze their own paths. Created by Lana Gomez.

●     “I Feel Good” mixed media guitar inspired by the music and legacy of James Brown. Created by Miles Regis.

●     “’Jack’ & Jim Marshall Tribute Guitar” graphic photowrap guitar utilizing the photographs of legendary photographer Jim Marshall. The guitar features a photo session with The Rolling Stones. Created by Signature Creative.

●     “Jersey Devil” acrylic painted guitar inspired by guitarist Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society). Created by John Irwin and signed by Zakk Wylde.

●     “Moms Not Bombs” mixed media guitar that references The Sunset Strip, the birthplace for the artist, as well as celebrates the artist’s mom, Gillian Eaton. Created by Tristan Eaton.

●     “The Music Machine” acrylic painted guitar that pays homage to Van Halen by utilizing the red, black and white colors of Eddie Van Halen’s iconic guitar. Created by Stephen M. Taylor.

●     “Nothing’s Shocking” acrylic painted guitar inspired by Jane’s Addiction Nothing’s Shocking album as well as the band’s self-titled album recorded live at The Roxy Theatre in 1987. Created by Ryan McCann.

●     “People Of The Sun” mixed media guitar inspired by Rage Against The Machine’s song of the same title. Created by Edgar Pasten.

●     “Roadhouse Blues” acrylic painted guitar inspired by the music and legacy of The Doors. Created by RISK and signed by John Densmore, Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek.

●     “Sunset Strip Music Festival Autographed Guitar” graphic-wrapped guitar celebrating the 2012 Sunset Strip Music Festival. Signed by members of Dead Sara (Emily Armstrong, Siouxsie Medley, Sean Friday, Chris Null), Black Label Society (Zakk Wylde, Nick Catanese, Chad Szeliga) and Bad Religion (Jay Bentley).

●     “There’s Something Happening Here” mosaic guitar celebrating the music and spirit of Buffalo Springfield. Created by Juliana Martinez and signed by Stephen Stills.

Gibson GuitarTown on The Sunset Strip is supported by the Sunset Strip Business Association, Hornburg Land Rover on The Sunset Strip, City of West Hollywood and Visit West Hollywood. GuitarTown on The Sunset Strip is administered by the Gibson Foundation, the philanthropic division of Gibson Guitar Corp. For a map and photos of the guitars, please visit www.thesunsetstrip.com/guitartown. For additional information, please visit www.gibson.com/sunset-strip  www.gibsonfoundation.org and www.bonhams.com.

Gibson is known worldwide for producing classic models in every major style of fretted instrument, including acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins, and banjos. The Gibson Les Paul Guitar is the bestselling guitar of all time and is a tribute to the late, famed musician of the same name. Collectively, the Gibson Robot Guitar, Gibson Dark Fire, Gibson Dusk Tiger and the Gibson Firebird X represent the biggest advances in electric guitar design in more than 75 years. Through the Gibson Foundation, the company has become equally known for its philanthropic efforts on behalf of music, education, health and human services. Founded in 1894 in Kalamazoo, MI, and headquartered in Nashville, TN, since 1984, Gibson’sfamily of brands includes Epiphone, Cerwin-Vega!, Dobro, Kramer, Onkyo, KRK Systems, Steinberger, Tobias, Echoplex, Electar, Flatiron, Slingerland, Stanton, Valley Arts, Maestro, Oberheim, Baldwin, Sunshine Piano, Take Anywhere Technology, J&C Fischer, Chickering, Hamilton, Wurlitzer and Gibson Pro Audio. Visit Gibson’s website at www.gibson.com.  Follow Gibson Guitar at www.facebook.com/gibsonguitar and www.twitter.com/gibsonguitar.

The Sunset Strip is a 1.6 mile stretch along Sunset Boulevard that runs through the heart of West Hollywood. From its beginning as an unregulated “strip” of land along Sunset Boulevard outside Los Angeles’ city limits, The Sunset Strip has served as a notorious entertainment destination for celebrities, tourists and California residents. It is an iconic locale where fashion, music, architecture and a unique history combine. The Sunset Strip has birthed countless music and entertainment careers, and it continues to blaze its own path as a leading destination with a vibrant and entertaining landscape made up of more than 150 restaurants, shops, nightclubs and hotels. The Sunset Strip became part of the City of West Hollywood when it was incorporated in 1984. For more information about The Sunset Strip, please visit www.thesunsetstrip.com.

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street and Knightsbridge; and a further three in the UK regions and Scotland. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Connecticut in the USA; and Germany, France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Australia. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments go to www.bonhams.com.

Since its opening, Hornburg Sunset has built its reputation on quality customer service and extensive product selection.  Ideally located on The Sunset Strip, the award-winning franchised Jaguar and Land Rover dealer continues to deliver the product and service that the brand is famous for.  The dealership is located at 9176 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 90069. For more information, visit www.hornburgLA.com

Visit West Hollywood (formerly known as the West Hollywood Marketing & Visitors Bureau) is a 501(c) non-profit organization dedicated to marketing the City of West Hollywood as a “living forward” visitor destination to business and leisure travelers by promoting awareness of the city’s unique location, image, businesses and industries and by providing support for the city’s economic development efforts. For more information on West Hollywood’s cutting edge businesses or to plan the ultimate getaway, please visit www.visitwesthollywood.com.

West Hollywood is also known as “The Creative City,” due to its rich history as a hub of entertainment, dining, fashion, design and architecture, is home to such iconic global destinations as Sunset Boulevard; Santa Monica Boulevard, the historic “Route 66;” and Melrose Avenue (The Avenues of Art, Fashion & Design). Originally, an unincorporated section of Los Angeles County, the 1.9 square miles between Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, known as West Hollywood was officially incorporated in 1984. West Hollywood is passionate and creative in its approach to City government and has established itself as a leader in many of the critical social movements over the last twenty years. The City has led the way in the fight against HIV and AIDS; rent control and affordable housing; LGBT rights; human rights and civil rights; women’s rights; Seniors; protection of our environment; and animal rights. For more information about the City of West Hollywood, please visit www.weho.org.