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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Contact</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>: Kelly White, Executive Director<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> 40 North | 88 West – Champaign County Arts Council<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> kwhite@40north.org, 217.351.9841<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:19.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>40 North | 88 West Announces 4<sup>th</sup> Annual ERIC SHOW <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><i><span style='font-size:3.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><i><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>High School Art Competition held at the Illini Union Art Gallery<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Champaign — 40 North | 88 West - Champaign County’s Arts Council – is pleased to announce the fourth annual Eric Show, a juried exhibition featuring artwork from several area high schools. This extraordinary show is endowed by Dale and Peg Steffensen in memory of Dale’s son Eric (1951-1970). Throughout high school, Eric won countless awards for his art and demonstrated remarkable potential. He was working with Rob Fisher, then a sculpture professor at the University of Illinois, and preparing his portfolio with plans of becoming an art major at UIUC. Eric had graduated a semester early from Urbana High School but while driving home from a hockey game in early 1970, he was killed by a drunk driver at the corner of Race and Michigan streets in Urbana. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The Steffensens hope The Eric Show will honor Eric’s memory as well as encourage and inspire the amazing young artists of this community.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The following schools are represented in the 2013 Eric Show at the Illini Union Art Gallery: Centennial High School (Champaign), Central High School (Champaign), Heritage High School (Broadlands), The High School of St. Thomas More (Champaign), Monticello High School (Monticello), GCMS High School (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley), Rantoul Township High School (Rantoul), University Laboratory High School (Urbana), Urbana High School (Urbana), Bement High School (Bement), and Unity High School (Tolono). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Opening Reception<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Members of the public are invited to the opening reception of the fourth annual Eric Show at the Illini Union Art Gallery, 1401 West Green Street in Urbana, on Friday, March 8th, from 5pm to 7pm. There will be refreshments provided by University Catering and music from The Conservatory: Veronika Sowers (violin), George Ruan (violin), and Kitty Schwartz (cello).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The show will be on display from March 8<sup>th</sup> to March 29<sup>th</sup>. <br>Sunday-Thursday, 7am-12am. <br>Friday-Saturday, 7am-1am.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The Illini Union Art Gallery is located in the far northwest corner on the main floor. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>40 North | 88 West is committed to cultivating creativity in Champaign County. Through advocacy, information and collaboration, 40 North supports and promotes the important role that arts, culture and education hold in making the community a great place to live, work, learn and play. For more on this and other 40 North programs, visit www.40north.org<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'># # #<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:TodaySB-Regular'>Kelly White</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:TodaySB-Regular'>Executive Director</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:TodaySB-Regular'>40 North | 88 West - Champaign County Arts Council</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:TodaySB-Regular'>106 South Neil Street</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:TodaySB-Regular'>Champaign, IL 61820</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:TodaySB-Regular'>phone 217.351.9841</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:TodaySB-Regular'>fax 217.398.3037</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><a href="mailto:kwhite@40north.org"><span style='font-family:TodaySB-Regular;color:blue'>kwhite@40north.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>