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Diana Henneuse
Public Relations for Sonya Paz
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SONYA PAZ, BAY AREA ARTIST, SELECTED TO DESIGN ARTISTIC THEME FOR SAN RAMON ART AND WIND FESTIVAL
"High Above the Clouds" is the Featured Artwork

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 3, 2005 Sonya Paz, a San Jose based artist, was commissioned by the city of San Ramon to design this year's featured artwork for the upcoming San Ramon Art and Wind Festival, to be held May 29th - 30th during Memorial Day weekend. This is the first time that Sonya was asked to design the artwork for the San Ramon Festival.

In March 2005, Sonya created an original piece of artwork that reflects the themes of the San Ramon Art and Wind Festival. The acrylic painting is now part of the San Ramon Public Art Collection and is displayed in a community building. The City of San Ramon will use Sonya's artwork for posters, postcards, on the web site, and in newspaper and television ads. Her art will be prominently featured on the cover of the City's Summer Activities Guide. Sonya's design will also be seen on promotional flyers, applications, passes, t-shirts, signs, and collateral materials (aprons, bibs, boxes). View the painting.

"Sonya's artwork is arresting because it's so lively, fun and colorful, "said Kathi Heimann, Program Manager for the City of San Ramon Parks and Community Services. "The playfulness of her art embodies our Art and Wind Festival so beautifully. We are delighted to have Sonya's fine art represent our festival this year."

Sonya will sign posters in the Art Gallery at the Community Center during the festival on Sunday, May 29, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. "I am deeply honored to be the selected artist for the featured artwork on the San Ramon Art and Wind Festival," said Sonya Paz. "I have participated in the festival previously as an artist, but this is the first time I was asked to create the festival artwork. When asked how to represent fun, community and 'wind,' this was a fun vision that I felt captured all of the festivities associated with this event."

About San Ramon Art and Wind Festival

The San Ramon Art and Wind Festival will be held on May 29 and 30 in San Ramon Central Park from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The festival includes more than 200 arts and crafts booths, entertainment on three stages, kite-flying demos, free kite making workshops, and activities for children. The Wild and Windy Kids Activity Area will include crafts and games based on the wind theme.The festival will also feature a Hot Air Balloon Launch on Monday, May 30 at dawn (approximately 6:00 a.m.). The City of San Ramon hosts this annual event, which attracts over 60,000 people every year and is the major fundraiser for 22 local non profit organizations. For more information about the Festival, go to: http://www.ci.san-ramon.ca.us/parks/2005/windfest/windfest-2005.html

About Sonya Paz Fine Art

Sonya's paintings and vivid images are a reflection of her California roots and her love for life. Sonya is a native Californian and lives in San Jose. Her positive, creative attitude and passionate expression represent an optimistic view of the world. The Cubist movement and American Pop Art inspire her bold and vibrant works of art. Seasoned by traveling the world to study art and its history. Sonya has a passion for Modern Art, Pop Art, Cubism, Modernism and Surrealism. These combined influences can be seen in much of her work, where traditional styles compete with energetic pop art images of the past 25 years.

In December 2004, Sonya opened her own fine art gallery in Santa Clara, Calif., and her works are represented in major galleries across the United States. Sonya's art is also featured at many distinctive wineries in Northern California, including Sonoma, Napa, Alameda and Monterey Counties. She is currently working on an exclusive label for a Livermore Valley Winery, "el Sol." Her work is also displayed at wineries from Oregon to Maine.

Earlier this year, Sonya unveiled five designs in her watch line, "art, captured in time." Her wristwatch features five new faces of her colorful Modern Pop Art in a genuine leather band, available in five colors.

Sonya is a member and recently elected Vice President of the Artists Guild of San Francisco. Over the past few years, her art has been exhibited at a number of venues. These include MJ Shaer Gallery in Napa, Gordon Biersch, Effusion Gallery in Miami, and International Artexpo in New York City.

Sonya has donated art and worked with many charities to raise funds. In 2004, Sonya's artwork was selected for the Sausalito Art Festival t-shirt design and the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts poster and t-shirt design. In 2002, she painted two sharks that were auctioned at the SharkByte Art Event in San Jose.

Sonya has a solid private and corporate clientele. Her works of art have been acquired by many collectors throughout the United States and can be found in collections in Canada, Chile, Great Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Scotland, Portugal, Turkey, Australia, Japan and Germany. For further information, visit Sonya Paz Fine Art at: http://www.sonyapaz.com.