Public Artist Romero Britto Visits Fort Lauderdale And ‘Hugs’ The Children
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5/18/2006 2:16:48 PM
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BROWARD COUNTY, FL –"I want to bring my art to the community," says internationally-known artist and South Florida resident, Romero Britto. Dozens of Britto fans came out to greet him on a recent visit to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport, where he was invited to sign posters that feature The Hug—his painting that also graces the fleet of buses that transport travelers from airline terminals to the newly-built Rental Car Center. The poster-signing was preceded by an official ceremony lead by Commissioner’s Sue Gunzburger and Diana Wasserman-Rubin, who expressed thanks for Britto's contribution to Broward County's Public Art and Design initiative.
Twenty-seven, 40-foot-long, airport buses are wrapped in a print of The Hug. The wraps were created using graphic design and high-resolution printed vinyl that were mounted and sealed to the buses. "The imagery on the buses serve as a warm gesture to tourists and local residents of all ages as they arrive or depart Broward County," explained Ricardo Zulueta, public art and design administrator of the Broward Cultural Division. "We are very pleased with the symbolism and the impact."
Many children attended the poster-signing, as the event coincided with National "Take Your Children to Work" day. Britto beamed as he signed their posters, t-shirts and other items, happy to be surrounded by their enthusiastic energy. Britto, who often paints with children for school and community murals, also lectures and teaches them about art. It is all part of his dedication to donating his art and time to charitable groups, over 200 each year.
Romero Britto has been a part of the international art community since 1989 when he was commissioned by Absolut Vodka along with Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf to design a bottle label for a company advertising campaign. Other corporate requests soon followed including Evian, Disney, BMW, Volvo, Royal Caribbean and BankAtlantic. His work is also collected by an impressive cross-section of entertainers, athletes, politicians and socialites including Dustin Hoffman, Andre Agassi, Giorgio Armani and Senator Ted Kennedy.
In January 2006, Britto was asked to speak at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland along with other cultural icons, Bono, Michael Douglas, Angelina Jolie and the artists, Christo and Jean-Claude. In 2005, Florida's First Lady Columba Bush, appointed him one of the State's Ambassadors of the Arts.
Media contact: Jody Leshinsky, marketing director, 954-357-7463,
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