Roy Lichtenstein Pops in Chicago with Bank of America’s Support

Ben–Day dots popularized by “Father of Pop Art” Roy Lichtenstein will be ever–present in Chicago this spring and summer.

Bank of America, demonstrating its commitment to cultural support that engages and strengthens communities, is the proud global sponsor of “Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective,” which is currently on display at the Art Institute of Chicago through Sept. 13. As the first scholarly assessment of the full scope and breadth of Lichtenstein’s career since his death in 1997, the exhibit will make subsequent stops in Washington, D.C., London and Paris.

With Bank of America’s sponsorship, the exhibition is poised to be one of the defining presentations of the artist’s work both in the United States and abroad. It will present more than 130 paintings and sculptures from all periods of Lichtenstein’s career such as pre–Pop expressionist, classic Pop Romance and War cartoon paintings.

Bank of America customers will be able to enjoy free admission to the Art Institute of Chicago and the Lichtenstein exhibit the first weekend of each month through the bank’s unique Museums on Us^® program. To take advantage of the Museums on Us^® benefit, customers must present their Bank of America/Merrill Lynch debit or credit card as well as photo identification

at the museum admission desk. The acclaimed Museums on Us^® program is just one of the ways in which Bank of America demonstrates its commitment to the arts and the community by providing customers with a free cultural resource. Additional information on the program is available online at museums.bankofamerica.com.

Additionally, Bank of America is celebrating its global sponsorship of the Lichtenstein exhibit in many creative ways across Chicago.

Commissioned Student Mural: The bank partnered with the Art Institute and the School of the Art Institute, whereby the school’s students were asked to create original artwork as a tribute to Chicago and in the style of Pop Art. A selection committee, comprised of

representatives from the three partnering organizations, the Estate of Roy Lichtenstein and advertising agency BBDO, then chose one student’s design to be painted as the 8,600 square foot mural to adorn three walls of the building that is located off the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood. The commissioned student, Adam Horrigan, a native of Grand Island, N.Y., created a colorful, vibrant demonstration that embraces familiar Chicago scenes and the emotional nature of Lichtenstein’s work.

ATMs: Bank of America’s ATMs in the Chicago market display an animated message that features Lichtenstein’s iconic “Oh Jeff…” painting from 1964. The artwork appears on screen before fading out to reveal

information about the bank’s sponsorship of the Lichtenstein exhibit and details of the Museums on Us® program.

Banking Centers: Community boards at Chicago–area Bank of America banking centers feature posters that that help build awareness of the Lichtenstein exhibit, the bank’s global sponsorship and inform customers how they can gain free access to the Art Institute of Chicago through the Museums on Us® program. Similar information is also displayed via the bank’s Digital Communications Network that streams content via TV monitors in the banking centers.

Digital: News of the Lichtenstein sponsorship as well as photos and videos of the student mural are being shared

via social media channels such Twitter (@BofA_Community) and Facebook and here on the pages of the Bank of America Opportunity website. Be sure to check these social media channels for additional updates on the commissioned student mural and the exhibit sponsorship.

Roy Lichtenstein Comes to Chicago with Bold Student Mural

Familiar Chicago images of the city flag, the Chicago River and architectural landmarks in big bold colors reminiscent of Roy Lichtenstein’s Pop Art style will soon be on display on Bank of America’s Kennedy Expressway Wall Mural.

Bank of America, the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) revealed the school’s student whose chosen mural design will adorn the mural space adjacent to the Kennedy Expressway this spring and summer. Adam Horrigan, a native of Grand Island, N.Y., who is pursuing a Post Baccalaureate certificate in Visual Communication

Design, created a colorful, vibrant demonstration that embraces familiar Chicago scenes and the emotional nature of Lichtenstein’s work.

The unique partnership with Bank of America, AIC and SAIC demonstrates the bank’s support of programs that

create meaningful change in the communities it serves and provides a unique commission that showcases Adam’s talents.

As a first step in the partnership, students were recently asked to create original artwork that is a tribute to Chicago and in the style of Pop Art. A selection committee, comprised of representatives from the three partnering organizations, the Estate of Roy Lichtenstein and advertising agency BBDO, met last week to review submissions for the commission.

“Adam’s use of vivid iconic Chicago imagery in his art submission truly pops and celebrates the greatness of our City,” said Tim Maloney, Illinois president, Bank of America. “Bank of America is proud of our long standing

partnership with the Art Institute of Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. This unique collaboration has encouraged aspiring new artists while demonstrating our commitment to supporting the arts through new cultural experiences and fostering art education while strengthening the economic and social health of our local communities.”

Adam’s mural design will be featured on the three walls of the building, which spans 8,600 square feet and is located near North Ashland and West Armitage Avenues in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood. The wall, seen by an estimated 400,000 people daily, currently displays a placeholder to give the public a “teaser” of what is to come and directs them to bankofamerica.com/chicago

to learn more about the program. Painting of the mural is slated to begin this week.

Two other students were named runner–up finalists in the program. Tracy Lee, a first year student pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, with emphasis in visual communications, and Ting Zhou, a first year student in the Master of Fine Arts, Studio program.

Come back to this site soon for continued updates on the program, including videos and photos of the mural’s progress. We’ll also be sharing photos and videos via Twitter and Facebook.

A grant to the Northern Illinois Food Bank—and help from volunteers—delivers food directly to hungry families

Since 1983, the Northern Illinois Food Bank has provided food to people in need in 13 northern Illinois counties.

In 2010, NIFB was facing a double challenge. As a result of the prolonged downturn and a long period of unemployment, the food bank was working hard to deliver 65% more food than just four years earlier. In addition, many of their recipients lived in suburban areas, where food pantries were not easily accessible.

In the years since it was founded, NIFB has honed its distribution methods so food is picked up and distributed efficiently. NIFB gets food from the government, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers, food drives and Feeding America. It is then distributed to local food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, youth activity centers and schools, helping over 500,000 people each year.

One of the most successful aspects of NIFB's operations is food recovery. With the help of volunteers, NIFB picks up perishable food from over 100 retail stores and warehouse clubs, and delivers it to organizations that

Bank of America was a supporter of NIFB as early as 2008. Then last year, the bank gave a grant to buy a second refrigerated truck for the food bank's innovative Mobile Pantry Program. The truck carries 10,000 pounds of food and arrives at set locations such as schools, churches or parking lots. People are invited to choose the items they want; volunteers help set up tables and carry food to clients' cars. Typically, a visit lasts two hours at each location, servicing as many as 300 families.

NIFB works with a network of agencies, donors and

As Pete Schafer, President and CEO of NIFB says, "Hunger in America is a reality. But with institutions like NIFB and Bank of America, we can do something about it. There's food out there; we just need the trucks to go get it, the volunteers to help us sort it and the agencies to help us distribute it. This is a problem that can be solved."

Join the conversation: Learn how we're working to help strengthen communities — on the Bank of America Facebook page

Cardenas Marketing Network, with Roots in Chicago, Sponsors Live Events Nationwide to Reach the Hispanic Market

Many Fortune 500 companies turn to entrepreneur Henry Cardenas — founder, president and CEO of the Cardenas Marketing Network (CMN) — for his expertise in reaching the Latino consumer. With over 50 million Hispanics in the United States, the companies — aware of the almost $1 trillion in purchasing power of this market — recognize they need to know how to connect with this fast-growing demographic as part of their marketing efforts.

Henry Cardenas has spent the last 30 years managing and producing live entertainment events. At age 17, sponsored by his uncle, he came from Colombia to Chicago — and has lived here ever since. CMN started in Chicago, and has since become one of the leading multicultural event-marketing sponsorship agencies in the country.

This year, CMN will produce over 700 events including live concerts, grassroots campaigns, soccer matches and mobile marketing events, focused on Chicago and other cities with strong Hispanic populations. Though the events are national, their home and headquarters are in the River West area of Chicago, where they are creating jobs and supporting the local economy.

Cardenas came to Bank of America for the basics like treasury management and online banking, as well as to secure an umbrella line of credit; CMN needs working capital to finance large-scale events that have significant upfront costs. The bank team also works closely with Cardenas’ senior management to strategize about new ventures. According to Minal Patel, Client Manager at Bank of America, “It’s very collaborative. Henry often comes to us with his new ideas and we serve as a sounding board for him.” Cardenas concurs, “I value them as a partner. Bank of America has become a trusted advisor to my organization; their thought process provides input to our key business decisions and growth.”

In three of the last four years, Crains’ Chicago Business named CMN to their “Fast 50” roster of fast-growing firms. The company has increased its staff by 30% in the last year and a half, and increased revenues by 40% in 2010. During the past several years, Bank of America has partnered with CMN to keep the company on a growth track, and help develop a strong business plan that will create jobs, and continue to have a positive impact on the local economy.

Join the conversation: Learn how we're working to help strengthen communities — on the Bank of America Facebook page

“Why not party for a purpose?”

Darryl Harrell believes it takes one person’s idea to inspire many—and together they can change the world. His aspirations are simple: Harrell wants to show people in the Chicago community that as long as there is a need, he will always try to help and encourage others to also give back.

“I want to help out the community who made me who I am now,” Harrell said. ”I hope to inspire other people to do the same thing.”

For his leadership and service, Bank of America honored Harrell with a Student Leader award, one of hundreds given to outstanding people and organizations across

“I never really thought in my mind that I would even win an award (as) my heart was in the community,” Harrell said. “It has given me a sense that when I get older, I can actually go out and do something huge.”

His passion for community service led him to start his own nonprofit, “Why Not Party for a Purpose?” with help and support from his mother, Lisa Harrell. The organization throws parties to collect clothes, money and food, or hosts volunteer events in the community. Harrell launched the nonprofit during his freshman year in high school and it continues to be successful today.

Darryl’s biggest project was his work with Pembroke, a self-sustaining, predominantly African- American community located in southern Illinois. It is a community of organic farmers who live entirely off the land, without plumbing, and rely on wood and solar panels to power and heat their homes. The community is one of the largest producers of wheat in the United States.

“This was an opportunity for Darryl to invest in kids his age and even older,” Mrs. Harrell said. “It was a chance to help these kids sustain their own community.”

When Harrell learned of the group’s heavy reliance on wood, he quickly organized nearly 300 people, including his entire football team, to spend a day in Pembroke

At his first introduction to Pembroke, Harrell observed that while the community was more than 90 percent African American, the volunteer population was predominantly Caucasian, which he believed was a critical disconnect. As a young African-American male, Harrell felt compelled to set a positive example and show that there are African-American men who are passionate about giving back.

“I was inspired to get a lot of my friends, a lot of older people who are African-American, to come to Pembroke and help out,” he said. “I wanted them to help a

Harrell has seen firsthand the success and positive effect his outreach can have on other people’s lives. “I want to be the oxygen that that makes the fire spread, makes the passion spread through other people,” he said.

See more about Bank of America's Neighborhood Excellence Initiative.

Partnering with the city of Chicago to address abandoned properties

Mayor Richard M. Daley and Illinois Market President Tim Maloney announced that Bank of America is working in partnership with the city of Chicago to lessen the impact of vacant properties on the city’s neighborhoods. New initiatives include donating vacant foreclosed properties to the city and to nonprofits for reuse, redevelopment and neighborhood revitalization.

In Chicago and elsewhere, many homeowners faced with economic hardship have walked away from their homes, leaving behind vacant and deteriorating properties. To address the growing issue of

Now when a mortgage is delinquent and the property is identified as vacant and abandoned, Bank of America will register the property with the city. It will also identify up to 150 such properties in default and refer them to a newly created Cook County court call, intended to move vacant and abandoned properties through the foreclosure process and return them to productive use. The bank will contribute to the costs of demolishing deteriorating buildings on the donated properties to relieve the financial burden to the city. And it will donate foreclosed and vacant condominiums to the

This vacant and abandoned building foreclosure pilot program is at the heart of Bank of America's revitalization efforts in collaboration with the city of Chicago. Bank of America will file foreclosure actions on eligible properties in a new Cook County vacant and abandoned building court call. The idea is that this expedited foreclosure process will significantly reduce the foreclosure time frame—currently an average of 18 months—for vacant and abandoned properties.

Former Mayor Richard M. Daley said, "In addition to helping support social efforts, Bank of America is working with the city to help protect residents and

Changing Lives in Communities Deserves Rewards

In communities across America, individuals and organizations are using their time, passion and skills to make a difference in the lives of others. To support and grow outstanding local efforts, Bank of America recognizes and rewards nonprofit organizations, local heroes and student leaders through the Neighborhood Excellence Initiative® (NEI). Our long-standing, signature philanthropic program, NEI provides grants and leadership development opportunities.

This year in Chicago, 12 NEI awards were given for exceptional work – from a mentoring professional

Learn more about the bank’s NEI program and the award winners who are changing Chicago.

Paulina Meat Market: A new-age business with old-world charm

Paulina Meat Market has been supplying fresh cuts to meat lovers in Chicago since 1949. Its old-world recipes and traditions attract a loyal, multi-generational customer base. In 2007, long-time manager and butcher Bill Begale seized the opportunity to buy the market from its original owners. He did so with a loan from Bank of America. Shortly thereafter, the bank helped Bill secure the funds needed to buy the building that has housed the market since 1984 and invest in business improvements. As the owner, Bill’s careful to preserve the look, feel and selection that keep his customers