“ART SET FREE” AUGUST 2014 UPDATE
ARTS BROOKFIELD’S GLOBAL ARTS SHOWCASE
SWEEPS ACROSS THE U.S. AND AROUND THE WORLD
ALL 50 U.S. STATES AND OVER 100 COUNTRIES REPRESENTED IN USER-GENERATED CAMPAIGN TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT IMPORTANCE OF FREE PUBLIC ART
Art Set Free Now Includes Over 20,000 Works of Art from over 2,600 Artists Worldwide 
New York, NY (August 19, 2014): Arts Brookfield, the cultural arm of Brookfield Property Partners acclaimed for presenting hundreds of exciting cultural experiences for free worldwide, announces recent dramatic growth of Art Set Free, the organization’s unprecedented global arts showcase that raises awareness about the importance of free public art. Artists in all 50 U.S. states, over 100 countries and over 800 cities have shared their work with Art Set Free, the user-generated campaign that is sweeping the nation and the world and will run through the end of the year.
Recent Art Set Free highlights include:
- The Art Set Free digital art collection currently includes 20,618 artworks from 2,612 artists worldwide.
- Participation in Art Set Free has expanded to 110 countries in 809 cities with submissions from all 50 U.S. states.
- Art Set Free saw its largest growth to date during the month of July, with more than 500 artists submitting sound, visual and performing art.
- Top locations submitting art include New York, Los Angeles, Toronto and Houston.
“When we launched Art Set Free in October 2014, we hoped to engage the global arts community and encourage artists working in all genres to make the world their stage and set their own art free,” said Debra Simon, Vice President and Artistic Director of Arts Brookfield. “We have been extremely impressed with the quality of art submitted to Art Set Free and look forward to seeing more amazing works from artists throughout the world!”
Among the thousands of unique and inspiring artists from across the globe who have set their art free by sharing their work on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram with the hashtag #artsetfree are:
- Sara Abid, a self-taught artist from Pakistan who sells her paintings worldwide and donates 100% of her earnings to various charities. An impressionistic painter, Abid specializes in palette knife technique and produces great textures on canvas using oils and mixed media elements.
- Maliha Abidi, an 18-year-old self-taught painter and photographer based in San Francisco. Abidi was previously selected to represent the United States as the youngest artist of 20 from around the world for a meditation artistic retreat, and she is currently a youth director for Wake Up, a drug abuse organization that educates teens about the danger of prescription drugs.
- Michael Hafftka, a Brooklyn-based painter whose work can be found in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Brooklyn Museum, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Carnegie Museum, New York Public Library and the National Gallery. Much of Hafftka’s understanding of the world comes from his perception of his parents’ wartime experiences as refugees from Europe and survivors of the Holocaust.
- Victor Haskins, a world-class trumpet player, improviser, composer, bandleader and educator. Based in Richmond, Va., Haskins, who lived in Asia and Africa until the age of 10, released his own original album The Truth in 2013.
- Ron Haviv, an award-winning photojournalist based in New York whose images of conflict and humanitarian crises have made headlines around the world. Haviv is the co-founder of the photo agency VII, which is dedicated to the truthful documentation of conflict.
Established artists who assisted in launching Art Set Free include Broadway star and Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell; Executive Artistic Director of New York Live Arts and Tony Award winner Bill T. Jones; Action Architect Elizabeth Streb; and the acclaimed vocal ensemble, The Tenors.
To participate in Art Set Free, artists should capture their work in a photo, video or audio recording; and then share it on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram with the hashtag #ArtSetFree. Entries are welcome from any genre, including dance/movement, music/sound, painting, sculpture, photography and street art. Arts Brookfield reviews submissions on a rolling basis and curates the best pieces for display at select Brookfield buildings around the world and on ArtsBrookfield25.com, potentially reaching an audience of millions.
Images, videos and sound recordings of artwork for Art Set Free may be submitted by individuals or organizations. Submissions should be creative, innovative and inspiring, and all entries must follow the Art Set Free Terms and Conditions available at ArtsBrookfield25.com.
To learn more about Arts Brookfield and Art Set Free, visit ArtsBrookfield25.com.
About Arts Brookfield
Arts Brookfield presents exciting, world-class cultural experiences to hundreds of thousands of people for free each year in both indoor and outdoor public spaces at Brookfield’s premier office properties in New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Houston, Toronto, Perth and Sydney. From concerts, theater and dance to film screenings and art exhibitions, Arts Brookfield brings public spaces to life through art. Through December 2014, Arts Brookfield celebrates its 25th Anniversary through an interactive initiative, Art Set Free. The public is invited to submit original artworks of all kinds for digital display at Brookfield’s office properties around the globe and on www.ArtsBrookfield25.com. Americans for the Arts has named Brookfield one of the ten Best Businesses Partnering with the Arts in America.
About Brookfield
Brookfield Property Partners (NYSE: BPY; TSX: BPY.UN) is a global commercial property company that owns, operates and invests in best-in-class office, retail, industrial, multifamily and hotel assets. Brookfield Office Properties – a division of Brookfield Property Partners – owns, develops and manages premier office properties in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. Its portfolio is comprised of interests in 113 properties totaling 88 million square feet in the downtown cores of New York, Washington, D.C., Houston, Los Angeles, Toronto, Calgary, Ottawa, London, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, making Brookfield the global leader in the ownership and management of office assets. Landmark properties include Brookfield Places in Manhattan, Toronto and Perth, Bank of America Plaza in Los Angeles, Bankers Hall in Calgary and Darling Park in Sydney. For more information, visit www.brookfield.com
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