Community Wall at the Philadelphia Airport Marriott Hotel Showcases Local Artists

PHILADELPHIA, PA--(Marketwire - May 19, 2011) - When guests step into the lobby of the Philadelphia Airport Marriott hotel, they are greeted by an art installation that depicts the history of Philadelphia through art and imagery. The exhibit, which is themed -- Philadelphia: Small Works...Big Dreams -- showcases paintings and drawings by local artists which reflect their expression of the city and each artist's place in it.

The community art wall was established in May 2009 as part of the PHL airport hotel's lobby renovation. According to the hotel's General Manager Sandra LeBlanc, "We were looking for a way to tie our lobby environment into a feeling of Philadelphia and at the same time involve the community. Through The Art Institute of Philadelphia, I was connected with The Center For Emerging Visual Artists (CFEVA.org). This was a perfect partnership since we wanted to offer aspiring local artists an opportunity to showcase their work to a diverse audience, and the CFEVA is a organization that is dedicated to making art careers viable for emerging artists, helping them reach their audiences, and promoting interest and understanding of emerging visual art within the community."

Ms. LeBlanc further notes, "It has been a great experience seeing this project through completion. It feels good to provide a showcase for emerging visual artists in Philadelphia and I would encourage other hotels and businesses to take on a similar community project."

Currently there are about 20 works on display at the hotel near Citizens Bank Park. The pieces continually change as new works are added and pieces are sold. All of the art is available for purchase and the hotel is in the process of selling their first piece.

Situated on the Philadelphia International Airport grounds and connected to Terminal B by means of a Skywalk, the Philadelphia Airport Marriott hotel offers the finest accommodations along with the closest and most convenient location to the airport. Featuring 419 guest rooms including five suites, a first-class restaurant, The Riverbend Bar and Grille, state-of-the-art fitness center, indoor swimming pool with whirlpool, and 12 meeting rooms with 12,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space, this Philadelphia airport hotel is the perfect location in the greater Philadelphia area. For additional information about the PHL airport hotel, visit www.marriott.com/phlar.

Marriott Hotels & Resorts is Marriott International's original and most widely distributed brand, with 500 hotels and resorts in 60 countries. Marriott continues to inspire a balanced life on the road for discerning and high-achieving business and leisure travelers, offering warm, professional service; sophisticated yet functional guest room design; lobby spaces that facilitate working, dining and socializing; restaurants and bars serving international cuisine prepared simply and from the freshest ingredients; meeting and event spaces and services that are gold standard; and expansive, 24-hour fitness facilities. All Marriott hotels participate in the award winning Marriott Rewards frequent travel program that allows members to earn hotel points or airline miles for every dollar spent during each stay. For more information visit www.meetthedriven.com, or follow us on Twitter, at www.twitter.com/marriotthotels.

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