Press Release
Presented by Tribute staff member:
Kimberly Michele Durham
Director of Marketing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Largest Michael Jackson Tribute Set to Connect Millions of Fans Worldwide
Interactive Work of Art Allows Fans to Play a Role in Pop Star’s Legacy
Los Angeles – In what is being dubbed the world’s largest tribute to The King of Pop, celebrity artist David Ilan, with support from Michael Jackson fans worldwide, as well as some of Jackson’s closest friends and family, is set to begin a unique interactive portrait of the late superstar. A special, invitation-only ribbon cutting ceremony was held Friday, August 28 at the EDGE Performing Arts Center in Hollywood, California.
The one-of-a-kind work of art is being created using a series of dots in a technique called pointillism. The first dots were drawn on the blank portrait canvas at Friday’s ceremony – the very first for Michael and then one for each of his children. VIP guests attending the event were also honored, including Don Wilson, Director /Producer of the “Man in the Mirror” video; Azia Pryor (close friend of Michael’s and former girlfriend of Jackson friend, actor Chris Tucker); and Randy Allaire, Principal Director, EDGE Performing Arts Studio, the exclusive Dance Studio used by Jackson and other top industry talent, which hosted the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. Allaire was one of Michael Jackson’s featured dancers on several concert tours, including “Bad.” Master of Ceremonies for this event was Gary Owens, MC for the Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremonies.
Two years ago, David Ilan created the idea to associate each dot in his drawings with a real person and their message on any given topic. Each dot in Jackson’s portrait will represent a fan. “Behind every single dot I place on the canvas, there is a fan who loved Michael and is mourning his death,” Ilan said. “It’s very fitting that the portrait of Michael will be created by dots representing his fans. Michael loved and respected his fans as much as his fans loved and respected him.”
“A portrait like this, where one dot = one fan, will take a few months to complete, so we can make sure that fans around the world have an opportunity to hear about it and join. We want to reach as many people as possible from every country. It’s what Michael was working for his entire life; people forgetting their differences and coming together.”
A dot is drawn on canvas each time someone signs up for it, with all of the dots eventually coming together to form Jackson’s image. “It’s a way for fans to feel like they’re part of something that’s going to be timeless,” said Deborah Dannelly, Michael Jackson Fan Club President and lifelong friend of the superstar. “The portrait will be around forever, and they can always be a part of that. Each fan is one dot for eternity. The one thing that Michael loved more than anything else besides his children was his fans, and he was always very, very appreciative of his fans. For there to be a portrait that’s going to be done with each dot representing a fan, oh he would love it! He would absolutely just be over the top with that.”
Don Wilson added, “This tribute and the actual portrait are a unique, touching and ever-lasting way for those who knew, worked with and loved Michael Jackson to have a timeless connection to him and his spirit.”
Michael Jackson broke through barriers and touched the hearts of millions with his music. He was not only considered by many to be the greatest performer of all time, but he was the greatest celebrity humanitarian in the world. Through this interactive work of art, fans all over the world can continue to connect with their idol and be a part of his legacy. This one-of-a-kind project is a way for Jackson’s fans to not only honor him, but be part of the tribute themselves.
The Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait is a partner of many major international fan clubs, including The Michael Jackson Fan Club (www.MJfanclub.net), the largest such fan club in the world, which was established by the King of Pop. The organizers of this tribute have the support of a number of those who were close to Jackson, including Joy and Wade Robson, and Ken Kragen, organizer of “We Are the World.”
At the conclusion of the debut event, fans can go to www.MichaelJacksonTributePortrait.com to sign up for their free dot, witness daily progress of the portrait as it grows to completion, and connect with other fans. The day following the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, Jackson’s birthday, David Ilan and the Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait were hosted by the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood for a public event that invited fans to meet the artist and get their dots.
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Contact Information:
Jerry Biederman – Tribute Organizer/Producer
[email protected]
Kimberly Michele Durham – Director of Marketing
[email protected]
