Culture is Always in Style: Museums on Us by Bank of America

April 28, 2008

Reporters May Contact: Ernesto C. Anguilla, Bank of America, 1.617.434.7308
ernesto.anguilla@bankofamerica.com


Bank of America Announces Significant Expansion to Museums on Us™ Program
Free access now available first weekend of every month; 28 geographic markets now participating in program


CHARLOTTE – Bank of America today announced a major geographic and program expansion of its acclaimed Museums on Us™ program, which is entering its 11th year providing free access to some of the nation’s finest cultural institutions.

For the first time since the program was created, Bank of America ATM, credit and check cardholders will have the opportunity to gain free admission to over 70 museums in 28 markets across the country during the first Saturday and Sunday of each month beginning in May.

This represents a major expansion over previous years, when cardholders could only utilize the program during the month of May. Last year, Bank of America expanded the program to include museums in California and Florida. Based on customer demand and usage, the company decided to further expand the program to enable more people to access to some of the nation’s finest cultural institutions over the course of the year.

“Bank of America is committed to improving access to the arts and Museums on Us™ is a key component of that outreach,” said Rena M. DeSisto, Arts and Culture Executive, Bank of America. ”We are thrilled to expand this program, both in scope and geography, so more individuals can experience art and culture at some of the finest museums in the country. Programs like this are important to how Bank of America creates new opportunities for our customers and communities.”

This year, residents and visitors to Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Detroit, Houston, Seattle, Silicon Valley and Phoenix will have the chance to participate in the program for the first time.

Participating institutions will benefit from added exposure through an integrated marketing campaign funded by Bank of America that will promote their involvement with the program. The marketing support increases visitor levels, gift shop revenue and membership enrollment.

“Museums on Us™ gives individuals who might not otherwise visit a cultural institution the chance to experience some of the finest art in the world,” said Malcolm Rogers, Ann and Graham Gund Director, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. “For years, the MFA has enthusiastically partnered with Bank of America to provide this terrific opportunity. We are thrilled that more people than ever will have the chance to visit their favorite museums for an extended period of time over the next year.”

Participants in the program range from some of the nation’s largest institutions – such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago – to a number of regional cultural institutions (see full list below).

For more information on Museums on Us™ or Bank of America’s arts and culture programming, please visit www.bankofamerica.com/museums.

Bank of America and the Arts
Bank of America is a leading supporter of arts and culture in the United States. Through a wide variety of programs, Bank of America works to strengthen artistic institutions and provide greater access to treasured works of art for both its customers and those who might not otherwise experience them. Each year, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation provides millions of dollars in grants to a wide range of arts organizations, supporting education and access programs and enabling institutions to expand their scope, and underwrites national and local performances, arts programs, and exhibitions. Through its unique loaned exhibition program, the bank offers its art collection to museums throughout the country, free of charge, so they may expand their offerings for the benefit of their communities.

Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk-management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving more than 59 million consumer and small business relationships with more than 6,100 retail banking offices, nearly 18,500 ATMs and award-winning online banking with nearly 25 million active users. Bank of America is the No. 1 overall Small Business Administration (SBA) lender in the United States and the No. 1 SBA lender to minority-owned small businesses. The company serves clients in more than 150 countries and has relationships with 99 percent of the U.S. Fortune 500 companies and 83 percent of the Fortune Global 500. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

2008 Bank of America Museums On Us™ Participating Museums

ARIZONA
Arizona Science Center

CALIFORNIA
California Center for the Arts Escondido
The California Museum
Crocker Art Museum
de Young Museum
Discovery Science Center
Explorit Science Center
Laguna Beach Museum of Art
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
Mingei International Museum
Museum of African Diaspora
Museum of Latin American Art
Palm Springs Art Museum
Riverside Art Museum
San Jose Museum of Art
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
Tech Museum of Innovation
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

CONNECTICUT
Mashantucket Pequot Museum
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art

DELAWARE
Delaware Art Museum
Delaware Museum of Natural History
Winterthur Museum & Country Estate

FLORIDA
Miami Art Museum
Miami Children’s Museum
Miami Science Museum
The Morikami Museum
Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), North Miami
Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale
Museum of Discovery & Science
South Florida Science Museum

GEORGIA
Atlanta Botanical Garden
Atlanta History Center
Fernbank Museum of Natural History

ILLINOIS
The Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago History Museum
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

MAINE
The Farnsworth Art Museum

MASSACHUSETTS
Danforth Museum of Art
DeCordova Museum & Sculpture Park
Harvard Museum of Natural History
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

MARYLAND
The American Visionary Art Museum
The Flag House and Star Spangled Banner Museum
Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture

MICHIGAN
Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
The Detroit Zoo
Henry Ford Museum

NEW JERSEY
Liberty Science Center
Montclair Art Museum
The Newark Museum

NEW YORK
Bronx Zoo and New York Aquarium
International Center of Photography
The Jewish Museum
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York Hall of Science

NORTH CAROLINA
Levine Museum of the New South
Mint Museum of Art
Mint Museum of Craft and Design

PENNSYLVANIA
National Constitution Center
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA)
Philadelphia Museum of Art

RHODE ISLAND
Museum of Work and Culture
Providence Children’s Museum
The RISD Museum

TEXAS
Dallas Museum of Art
Fort Worth Museum of Science & History
Houston Museum of Natural Science
Museum of Nature & Science, Dallas
San Jacinto Museum of History

WASHINGTON
Museum of History & Industry
Tacoma Art Museum
The Wing Luke Museum

The Tipping Point (How to Be a Good Tipper)

Have you ever been at a loss for just how much to tip the bell hop, your stylist's assistant, a cab driver who was pleasant and helped you with your bags? I know I have been there too many times. I always wonder if I'm tipping enough or am I giving too much.

I discovered The Itty Bitty Guide to Tipping while I was reading an old issue of Pathfinders Travel magazine. This guide could definitely come in handy.

www.pathfinderstravel.com

Ulta Chicago Beauty Event

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
APRIL 2008

“MEET THE EXPERTS”
A BEAUTY EVENT AT ULTA

THINK: Spring into a perfectly polished look courtesy of industry experts.

WHAT: A beauty-full event. Joli Baker, President of Pür Minerals, the beloved mineral skincare and cosmetics brand, and celebrity hairstylist Nick Chavez are teaming up for an in-store beauty event at ULTA in Arlington Heights, IL. On May 17th consumers will get the chance to meet Joli and Nick and learn how to attain a flawless spring look in minutes.

This event brings together two of the industry’s most skilled artists and gives consumers the chance to learn from the best. Joli, an industry veteran with a 25-year proven track record, created Pür Minerals with the goal of providing the best natural makeup and skincare products that are easy to use and work for all women. Nick, hairstylist to the stars and creator of Nick Chavez, a popular hair care line, is a master at creating gorgeous styles that can be achieved in the comfort of your own home.

Aside from getting the inside scoop from Joli and Nick on how to get a polished spring look in minutes, consumers at the “Meet the Experts” ULTA event can:

Book an appointment for a consultation with a Pür Minerals makeup artist to get a personalized color match of the 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup, the cornerstone of the Pür Minerals collection. Each appointment comes with a free sample of the mineral makeup and skincare product line.

Meet with Nick’s hair artistry team, provided on a first come, first serve basis, for a personal hair makeover.

Shop for Nick Chavez and Pür Minerals products to receive a free gift from Pür Minerals with a minimum purchase.

Enter to win a gift basket of Pür Minerals products, valued at $150, to get a perfectly polished look anytime.

Enter to win a gift basket of Nick Chavez hair care products, valued at $150, for gorgeous hair in your own home.

WHERE: ULTA in the North Point Shopping Center, 456 E. Rand Road Arlington Heights, IL from 10am-7pm. To book an appointment visit ULTA or call 847.577.037

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The Little Black Dress

The little black dress is a chameleon of sorts. It can be accessorized a number of ways so that the woman wearing it can be bold and daring or sweet and demure. The possibilites are endless with simply switching accessories.

For the past couple of weeks I've been looking at LBDs to add to my collection. I have an assortment of classic LBDs as well as a few casual ones, I just want some new styles. I'm in the middle of a closet overhaul that is long overdue but it looks as if I'll be donating some dresses to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.

Having a LBD in your closet is essential, one never knows when the opportunity to get dolled up will present itself. I googled little black dress and found a write up on About.com.

Here are a few styles that I found during my online window shopping.

Press Release: Bridget Lynne Designs

Jewelry Designer Bridget Lynne Nielsen Introduces an Elegant and Airy Collection Straight from Nature

http://www.bridgetlynnedesigns.com/ New York, NY (April 24, 2008) – Summer is ripe with lush green trees and flowers are beginning to bloom. With the heavy air of winter finally lifting, women everywhere are ready to update their wardrobes and embrace the spring trends showcased on the fashion runways in New York and Paris . Floral prints and nature-inspired accessories are taking center stage this season; and Canadian jewelry designer Bridget Lynne Nielsen is keeping ahead of the curve with a stunning Spring-Summer Collection that isn’t just inspired by nature, but is plucked straight from nature itself! Bridget Lynne Nielsen is the designer and visionary behind Bridget Lynne Designs, an up-and-coming jewelry line that is accented by leaf jewelry hand-dipped in gold and silver. Each item is handmade to order and no two leaves are ever the same. “This spring’s designs are all about getting back to your roots,” says Bridget Lynne, “not only is fashion more fluid and in-tune with the body, but it allows for jewelry to truly take center stage.” Bold accents, statement necklaces, and pieces reminiscent of Grecian gods and goddesses are all found in the Spring-Summer Collection by Bridget Lynne Designs.

According to Bridget Lynne, “summertime is the perfect backdrop for light and breezy styles, and each of my pieces is meant to go from day to night effortlessly.” Whether on vacation or attending an outdoor cocktail party after work, the most important detail is in the accessories and Bridget Lynne Designs helps bridge the gap with little effort required!

About Bridget Lynne Designs
In an age of “I want it now, I needed it yesterday,” Bridget Lynne Designs is a refreshing break from mass production. All items of jewelry are handmade to order, keeping Bridget Lynne Designs closely tied to the lost art form of jewelry making. Bridget Lynne feels that by creating a precious and high quality piece of jewelry, clients are not only getting timeless jewelry, but truly wearable works of art. Bridget Lynne Designs are meant to be worn all year long, no matter the season. Her eclectic approach to design is what makes her pieces appealing to many different styles. Bridget Lynne transforms the natural world into wearable works of art, mixing natural gemstones and crystals with pearls, quartz and high karat gold. The combination of elements unique to Bridget Lynne’s work reminds a wearer or an admirer of the power, beauty, and significance of the natural world we live in and creates an effortlessly glamorous look. For more information, please visit http://www.bridgetlynnedesigns.com/.

About Bridget Lynne Nielsen
Bridget Lynne Nielsen was raised in Upstate New York and from an early age she developed a passion for gemstone jewelry. Throughout her youth and teens, Bridget Lynne created jewelry as a hobby and after graduating from Syracuse University with a degree in Business, she decided to turn her passion for nature-inspired jewelry into business by creating Bridget Lynne Designs. Bridget Lynne founded Bridget Lynne Designs in 2007 and works from her private studio in Manitoba , Canada , where she hand-makes every jewelry piece to order.

According to Bridget Lynne, accessory design should be rooted in quality and craftsmanship. She imports all of her gemstones from India and hand picks the most vibrant and beautiful colors to compliment a variety of taste and styles. Each Bridget Lynne Designs piece is created to last well beyond one season and to be wearable for any occasion. Bridget Lynne strives to “take looks from the past that are in tune with the present, with a vision toward the future.” With that vision in mind, all of Bridget Lynne’s items are designed to be on the cutting edge of style while maintaining customer satisfaction and providing quality products. Bridget Lynne believes it is important to be a leader instead of following trends – and through her timeless collection of necklaces, rings, bracelets and earrings, fans of Bridget Lynne Designs will always have a special piece that never loses its sparkle.

Earth Day 2008

Happy Earth Day Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!

I recently joined Team Green at work. Team Green is my company's initiative to be a green organization, inspire others to live as green as possible, and educate our peers on environmental issues.

Now that I have made a commitment to go green, I'm astonished at what I'm learning and that motivates me to want to do more.

Here are my list of resources where I am educating myself on environmental issues:

• http://ww2.earthday.net/
• http://www.reusablebags.com/facts.php?id=2
• http://www.thegreenguide.com/
• http://www.time.com/time/goinggreen
• http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls

picture: HSN.COM

Zoe Kravitz, A Fashion Cry For Help

Dear Zoe Kravitz,

One can only deduce from this tragic outfit that you have yet to find a stylist. You are a very pretty girl so I'm confused as to why you would be seen in an ensemble that was clearly found among a pile of clothes on the floor of Amy Winehouse's closet.

I won't even go into your oh so obvious wardrobe malfunction. And the feather earring??? What is this all about? Ugh!

This outfit had potential but I see you said to hell with potential and fully embraced disheveled and crazy.

So your assignment is to contact a celebrity stylist quickly so this tragedy never happens again.

New Feature!!!! My Life of Style

I've decided on a new blog feature, My Life of Style, a monthly wrap up of what I'm into, what I think is hip, happening, haute/hot. Here's the first MLOS, enjoy!!!!

Books: Currently reading Sushi For Beginners by Marian Keyes

Fashion: Funky jackets, finding my current favorite jeans, ON Diva jeans, and J. Crew Peep Toe Mary Janes in Autumn Berry.

Film/TV: As soon as I have an afternoon free I'm going to see Forgetting Sarah Marshall. I also plan to see Made of Honor with Patrick Dempsey. Did you guys peep Kadeem Hardison who has a role as one of Patrick's buddies in the film? And I would be remiss if I failed to mention the Sex and the City movie, I've waited so long for this!!!!

I'm so glad the writers strike is over. I was frantic for The Game to come back on. I'm team Melanie by the way...can't wait until Team Melanie + Derwin is a go again. I'm happy about the return of Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy as well.

Music: Day 26, Discipline, Runaway by Boomkat, and Pink Martini's Hey Eugene

Products (Beauty): I'm currently searching for an organic mascara, any suggestions? Creative Nail Design Stickey, the best base coat in the world. I've been using this for years and my manis and pedis really last without so much as a chip. Bright nail polish, I just bought a gorgeous shade from Milani called Cool Vibe. It's so bright and bold. OPI has a new shade called Hey! Get In Lime!

Look What I Found...

As I was unpacking yet another box of books, I found one of the first makeup books I ever bought, Cindy Crawford's Basic Face (pictured)

I literally laughed out loud when I pulled it from the box. I haven't read this book in about ten years. Just for fun I'm going to reread it and try out the techniques just like I did when I first bought the book, lol.

Do any of you makeup junkies have CCBF? What did you think of it?

In Your Bag

My current favorite website is In Style magazine In Your Bag. Fashionable readers post pictures of their bags and the contents.

Celebrities also post pictures too! That's Lisa Rinna's bag pictured. I'm going to submit a picture of my purse and I think you should too!

Product Review: Olay Body Quench Mousse

I was not prepared to love lotion in the form of a mousse. When I saw the can in Target I almost left it on the shelf but the sale price and sleekness of the container is what swayed me. I'm so easy...

This product is AMAZING!!!! I love the light as air foam and the subtle scent. I have tried the mousse with a variety of fragrances and it mixes well with them all. There is also a pretty shimmer that is left on your skin too. This product will be great for the warmer months because of the lightweight consistency.

Olay Body Quench Mousse is a great product that kept me moisturized throughout the day and well into the night. Love that staying power!!!

Oh Smashbox, You're So Fabulous

My latest obsession is Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss. Out of all the lip glosses I have ever used Smashbox is now my favorite. I have three of these glosses in each formula:

Sheer Color: Illume

True Color:Pout

Full Color: 35MM



For a gloss to be in my top five favorites it has to be non sticky, moisturizing, and give an ample amount of color. I went to Sephora two weeks ago to purchase one new lip gloss and walked out with three! They've been in my purse ever since. My favorite of the three is Illume. I love the way it shimmers and it's a great nude when paired with a nude lip liner. Pout is the perfect pink. I really think it's a universally flattering shade. In the tube the shade looks a little Pepto Bismal-ish, but really the color is very pretty on. 35MM is a lovely everyday shade. I'm anxious to hit Sephora and try the three new colors in the Desert Chic collection.

Let me know if you have tried Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss!

Product Review: The FitFlop

Recently, I was given a great opportunity to try a pair of FitFlops.

Last summer, I swore off traditional flip flops because they caused a lot of aches and pains. I refused to wear them for long periods of time and began wearing them after getting a pedicure only. Flip flops are the devil, lol. Enter the FitFlop

In my opinion the FitFlop is a comfortably sweet alternative to the traditional flip flop. I found while trying it out, that my legs didn't ache after walking in them for more than an hour, my feet weren't sore, and the cushioning is what I loved best. This summer, I highly recommend getting a pair of FitFlops. Just be sure to order one size down from what you normally wear because they seem to run big. And if you need more convincing to try FitFlops check out these seven benefits: http://www.thefitflop.com/benefits.

6 Random Things About Me

Jamie at Rural Glamour tagged me...Thanks Girly!


6 Random Things About Me:

1. I'm 5'3" tall and weigh 118 lbs.
2. When I was 15, I had a serious crush on Al B. Sure! I would have killed a dead tree for that man, lol!
3. I am not a morning person. I just need my S'bucks and some quiet time in order for my day to go well. Do.Not.Talk.To.Me. before 8:00 a.m.
4. Love Jones is my favorite movie of all time.
5. I can't stop buying lip gloss. I purchased two glosses last week and no telling what I'm going to buy in the weeks to come!
6. Three drinks is my limit.