WSG artists on billboards

Adams Outdoor Advertising Donates Advertising Space

To Local Area Artists In New “Art In The Sky” Program

Ann Arbor, Michigan – Driving down US-23 or I-94 in the Ann Arbor-area, commuters may be surprised to see a work of art on a billboard which normally carries advertising. A local Ann Arbor company, Adams Outdoor Advertising (AOA), has launched an “Art In The Sky” program that transforms traditional public service space into a public art gallery (photos attached). AOA has a long-standing initiative to invest back into the local community by providing public service advertisements to non-profit organizations. The “Art In The Sky” program is an extension of this service.

AOA Real Estate Manager Shannon Bellers, in partnership with artist Elizabeth Schwartz, launched the initiative to bring art to the masses via the medium of outdoor advertising. The project, called “Art In The Sky,” debuted December 20, 2010 in multiple locations around Washtenaw County including Chelsea, Milan and Belleville. To date, AOA has provided donated space to three local artists: Elizabeth Schwartz, Connie Cronenwett and Lynda Cole. All three artists are affiliated with the WSG Gallery located in Ann Arbor, which can be visited on-line at www.wsg-art.com.

“We would like to potentially expand the program throughout our Ann Arbor market counties and even further into our otherMichigan markets,” said Bellers. “The feedback we have received from artists and the Ann Arbor community at large has beenoverwhelmingly positive.”

Robert M. Beckley, Professor and Dean Emeritus Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University ofMichigan, commented on the project through an unsolicited email, “I was both surprised and delighted…This effort by your company has made me see the potential for combining public art and commerce in a new way. I hope this initiative will carry on.”

The project’s goals are two-fold. First, project coordinators seek to bring art to those who may not have the opportunity to visit a traditional art gallery, in a new and unexpected way. Second, the project provides a showcase for Ann Arbor’s artists and thriving cultural community. Should the project expand as desired, AOA hopes to host a juried “mobile art show” later in 2011.

“Seeing my work on such a large scale, and knowing that others will see it as well, is quite a thrill,” said artist Elizabeth Schwartz. “I'm thankful to Adams for this exciting public art project, and look forward to seeing more ‘Art in the Sky.’"

“We're looking to see billboard art by local artists wherever we drive in Michigan,” added artist Connie Cronenwett. “We hope it catches on all over the state."

Artists in the Washtenaw County-area interested in being considered for this program are invited to send an e-mail to Shannon Bellers at sbellers@adamsoutdoor.com. Please be sure to include full contact information along with a website photo of your original art.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Adams Outdoor Advertising is committed to providing a return on investment (ROI) for every dollar spent on out-of-home advertising in our markets. Adams Outdoor Advertising operates in 17 markets with more than 12,000 billboard, poster and digital displays in eight states. To learn more about outdoor advertising solutions, visitwww.adamsoutdoor.com or call Shannon Bellers, Real Estate Manager, at

(734) 327-8999.