Grolsch and the New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) today revealed that contemporary artist Olaf Breuning is the winner of the Grolsch SwingArt Program 2009. Grolsch is now in its fourth year of supporting the most important contemporary art fair week in Miami Beach, Dec. 3-6, 2009, and will unveil Breuning’s limited-edition bottle design at NADA Art Fair.
Grolsch, famous for its iconic SwingTop bottle, introduced the SwingArt Program in 2007 to commission an artist and produce a limited number of Grolsch bottles featuring the artist’s work. This year, the Grolsch program evolved to include a unique partnership with NADA, enabling the organization to further its goal of making the contemporary arts more accessible for the general public, and creating opportunities that nurture the growth of emerging artists, curators and galleries.
The Grolsch SwingArt Program, in collaboration with NADA and a panel of internationally respected curators specializing in emerging contemporary art, chose to commission a limited-edition artwork label by Breuning following a call for artist submissions earlier this year. In honor of the founding year of the Grolsch Brewery, the Netherlands-based brewer will gift 1,615 bottles to NADA Opening Preview guests beginning at noon on Dec. 3. The panel of curators invited to review submissions and select the SwingArt Program’s winning artwork were:
Matthew Higgs, White Columns, New York
Benjamin Godsill, New Museum, New York
Shamim Momin, Los Angeles Nomadic Division (LAND), Los Angeles
Ruba Katrib, MoCA North Miami, Miami
Anthony Elms, WhiteWalls and Gallery 400 at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago
In addition to a $1,000 honorarium, promotional materials in Miami Beach will feature Breuning’s winning artwork. Grolsch will also host a SwingArt party on Saturday, Dec. 5 beginning at 7 p.m. at the Deauville Beach Resort to celebrate Breuning and recent collaborations with NADA and The Green Art Center in Miami.
The party will feature DJ performances and an eco-art fashion show by Luis Valenzuela, the founder of The Green Art Center in Miami and visual artist and fashion designer. Valenzuela will unveil two designs inspired by Breuning’s SwingArt label and the Grolsch SwingTop, and also designed Grolsch-themed ‘art bars’ for NADA, Art Miami and Design Miami.
About Olaf Breuning:
Olaf Breuning was born in 1970, in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. Breuning studied photography in Zurich, Switzerland and currently lives and works in New York. He has exhibited his works in numerous galleries and museums internationally, including the Whitney Museum, PS1 Contemporary Art Center, NY, and Migros Museum in Switzerland. He recently had a solo exhibition at Langhans Gallery in Prague, and he had his fifth solo show at Metro Pictures in New York this year.
About Grolsch:
Royal Grolsch is a brewery with a rich tradition that goes back to 1615. Grolsch brews beer concentrating on the premium segment of the market. The focal point of Grolsch commercial activities lies in the Netherlands, the historic home market for Grolsch. Grolsch is active internationally in around 70 countries. Important international markets for Grolsch include the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand.
About New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA):
Founders of the NADA Art Fair in 2003, we are a non-profit arts organization devoted to giving support and encouragement to those who work with new contemporary and emerging art; facilitating strong, and meaningful relationships between our members; and enhancing the public’s interaction with contemporary art. We believe in a spirit of friendly competition and the power of working collectively to gain access to resources, and to provide services to artists and the public that we could not as individuals.
About MillerCoors:
Built on a foundation of great beer brands and more than 288 years of brewing heritage, MillerCoors continues the commitment of its founders to brew the highest quality beers. MillerCoors is the second largest beer company in America, capturing nearly 30 percent of U.S. beer sales. Led by two of the best-selling beers in the industry, MillerCoors has a broad portfolio of highly complementary brands across every major industry segment. Miller Lite is the great tasting beer that established the American light beer category in 1975, and Coors Light is the brand that introduced consumers to refreshment as cold as the Rockies. MGD 64 completes the company’s premium light beer portfolio, offering consumers fresh, crisp taste at just 64 calories. MillerCoors brews premium beers Coors Banquet and Miller Genuine Draft; and economy brands Miller High Life and Keystone Light. The company also imports Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Pilsner Urquell, Grolsch and Molson Canadian and offers innovative products such as Miller Chill and Sparks. MillerCoors features craft brews from the Jacob Leinenkugel Company, Blue Moon Brewing Company and the Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Company. MillerCoors operates eight major breweries in the U.S., as well as the Leinenkugel’s craft brewery in Chippewa Falls, WI and two microbreweries, the 10th Street Brewery in Milwaukee and the Blue Moon Brewing Company at Coors Field in Denver. MillerCoors vision is to create America’s best beer company by driving profitable industry growth. MillerCoors insists on building its brands the right way through brewing quality, responsible marketing and environmental and community impact. MillerCoors is a joint venture of SABMiller plc and Molson Coors Brewing Company.
