Louise Bourgeois edition to benefit Freedom to Marry

Sale of Exclusive Art Edition Will Support the Campaign to Win Marriage Nationwide

For Immediate Release:  
May 11, 2010 New York, NY

PRESS CONTACT: 
Sean Eldridge 
Director of Communications, Freedom to Marry
sean@freedomtomarry.org

New York, May 11, 2010 Freedom to Marry, the leading campaign to win marriage nationwide, today announced a partnership with renowned artist Louise Bourgeois.  The 98 year-old artist has created an exclusive art edition for Freedom to Marry entitled I do, 2010, an abstract depiction of two flowers joined on a single stem created with archival dyes on cloth with embroidery.  An edition of 300 prints of this exceptional piece will be sold for $1,000 each to support the work of Freedom to Marry

"Everyone should have the right to marry," declared Ms. Bourgeois.  "To make a commitment to love someone forever is a beautiful thing."

Evan Wolfson, Executive Director of Freedom to Marry, stated that "Freedom to Marry is honored to partner with Louise Bourgeois as she contributes her talent and voice, and are deeply grateful for her support of our work to win the freedom to marry nationwide.  This edition will serve as a timeless symbol of the love and commitment that accompany marriage."

Proceeds from the sale of the Louise Bourgeois art editions will support Freedom to Marry's nationwide campaign to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage and the protections, responsibilities, and commitment it brings to families.  To make arrangements to purchase one of these editions, please visit http://www.freedomtomarry.com/ido or call (212) 851-8418.

About the Artist: Louise Bourgeois was born in Paris in 1911 to a family of tapestry restorers.  In 1938, Bourgeois married American art historian Robert Goldwater and moved to New York City, where she currently lives and works.  In a career extending over seven decades, Bourgeois has explored her memories and fears in a complex body of work ranging from poetic drawings to room size installations.  She has stated that she gives her emotions and fears a physical form.   In 1982, Bourgeois was the first woman artist to receive a Retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.  She represented America at the Venice Biennale in 1993, and was given the National Medal of Arts by President Clinton in 1997.  In 2007, the Tate Modern in London, in collaboration with Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, organized a Retrospective of her work that traveled to the Guggenheim, Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Hirshhorn in the United States.

About Freedom to Marry: Founded in 2003 by Evan Wolfson, one of America's leading civil rights advocates and lawyers, Freedom to Marry is the leading campaign working to win marriage nationwide. The campaign partners with a diverse range of organizations and supporters across the country to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from the responsibilities, protections, and commitment of marriage. Freedom to Marry is building a nationwide majority for marriage by educating the public about why marriage matters, working to win marriage in more states and end federal marriage discrimination, and promoting nationwide progress by empowering supporters across the country to take effective actions in support of the marriage movement.

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Note to Media: Please save the date for June 22, 2010, 6-8pm for a private event at Cheim & Read to view the work. Details to follow.