"LIBERTY BELLS: AN AMERICAN CELEBRATION" CONVENES DURING
2000 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION IN PHILADELPHIA
Delegation of Liberty Bells Arrives from U.S. States and Territories

PHILADELPHIA (July 26) – As Philadelphia prepares to host the 2000 Republican National Convention, a Broadway scenic designer and 4H Club members in Wyoming are among the many Americans who have created works of art in the shape of the nation’s greatest symbol of freedom, the Liberty Bell. The bells are here for "Liberty Bells: An American Celebration," an exhibition of monumental, citizen-inspired and created, commemorative interpretations of the Liberty Bell from America’s states and territories. The exhibition runs from July 26 through August 3, at PoliticalFest, a multimedia celebration of American politics open to the public, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

"Each delegation will bring to Philadelphia a symbol of their home state in the likeness of the symbol for which Philadelphia is so well known," said Jan Larimer, co-chair, Republican National Convention’s Committee on Arrangements.

"The convention of bells will be a highlight of PoliticalFest during the 2000 Republican National Convention, giving delegates, media and citizens of the greater Philadelphia region a way to commemorate another historic moment in Philadelphia," said Karen Dougherty Buchholz, president, Philadelphia 2000, host committee for the convention.

"The Liberty Bell tribute dates back to 1876, when 12 million people gathered in Philadelphia for the nation’s Centennial celebration and a very popular exhibit of state bells," said Meryl Levitz, president and CEO of Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC). "In 1976 the Smithsonian Institution mounted a retrospective of the event that ran for 23 years, featuring some original bells from 1876, such as one made of wheat from Kansas. Through this recurring theme and Philadelphia’s historic connection to it, the idea for our Liberty Bell exhibit was born."

"Liberty Bells: An American Celebration" is the result of joint efforts by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge; Philadelphia 2000, host committee for the Republican National Convention; Republican National Convention’s Committee on Arrangements; and GPTMC. The exhibition is being produced by Millennium Philadelphia, with Amy Needle, executive director, and Production Group International (PGI).

A sampling of the bells in the exhibition:

• Alabama: The 400-pound bell titled Stars Fell on Alabama, is made of Southern Yellow Pine, Robinson Iron and bronze and copper trim.

• Colorado: The state’s tourist attractions and the Rocky Mountains are highlighted.

• Delaware: In reference to Thomas Jefferson’s quote that "Delaware is like a diamond—small but having inherent value…" Delaware’s bell is covered in sparkling diamond dust.

• Georgia:Nancy Jordan from Cobb County made a bell from handmade paper, Vidalia onion skins and peanuts.

• Guam: A master weaver and artist, Phillip Sablan, in Santa Rita, made the bell from palm fronds, a material traditionally used by the people of Guam.

• Hawaii: Artists from the Village of Volcano, on the Big Island, made a bell from coconut fiber and rattan.

• Idaho: The yoke has a hand-carved farm scene, and the face of an explorer, representing the Lewis and Clark expedition, is carved into the bell.

• Illinois: The  bell is painted with icons of Illinois like the McDonald's golden arches, Beanie Baby manufacturer Ty Inc.,  Chicago skyline and a portrait of Abraham Lincoln.

• Indiana: Expo Design has created a bell-shaped basketball net and backboard.

• Kentucky: The Kentucky Arts and Crafts foundation made a bell from coal and vintage quilts.

• Louisiana: The bell is adorned with moss, Mardi Gras beads, doubloons and Tabasco bottles.

• Maryland: A painted mural depicts the state’s role in historic events and current tourist attractions.

• Massachusetts: The bell is covered with seashells, lobsters and Minutemen.

• Michigan: Masco Corporation made a bell in Taylor from automobile parts and office furniture to symbolize the state’s key industries.

• Minnesota: As one of the nation’s top iron producers, Minnesota created a bell featuring a wide band of taconite donated from each of the eight mines in Minnesota’s Iron Range.

• Mississippi: Young people affixed cotton, corn, soybeans and magnolia leaves to the bell celebrating Mississippi authors.

• Missouri: The bell is covered in a 100-year-old patriotic quilt.

• Montana: The bell is a collage of campaign items from Judy Martz, Denny Rehberg and Sandra Conrad Burns, the state’s Republican political candidates.

• Nebraska: One of the many bells made out of metal, Nebraska’s bell is made from tin and copper.

• New York: Sculptor and theatrical scenic artist Jane Snow, in collaboration with Bernard Gersten, four-time Tony award winning producer of Contact, created a bell with 120 photos of Times Square by Elliot Kauffman. The bell chimes the tune of "Give My Regards to Broadway."

• North Carolina: Tom Spleth and Anthony Ulinski, two professional sculptors, constructed a 200-pound bell in Raleigh, incorporating images of the state, from ocean to mountains.

• North Dakota: The bell has images of Sacagawea, who led the Lewis and Clark expedition through North Dakota, as well as the state flower and state bird.

• Ohio: The Longaberger Company created a bell-shaped Longaberger basket from maple.

• Oklahoma: Oklahoma’s bell celebrates state pride with icons of the state, such as oil derricks, bundles of wheat, the state bird and the state flag.

• Pennsylvania: A virtual bell being created in Pittsburgh offers virtual tours of the state’s technological heritage on a flat-screen monitor.

• Tennessee: Artist Jairo Prado of Nashville made a bell that is covered with icons of Tennessee’s music and celebrates the state slogan "Tennessee—Sounds Good To Me."

• Virginia: Jeff Taylor, a junior in the Crafts Department at Virginia Commonwealth University, made a bell from woven copper wire and found objects that is a tribute to Virginia’s Appalachian tradition of handcrafted arts.

• Washington D.C.: The national monuments are depicted on this bell.

• Wisconsin: Artists Vincent Leon Olmstead and Laura Marth painted a bell to resemble a Holstein cow, as a salute to the dairy industry and the dairy farmer.

• Wyoming: They did two bells – one of lariat rope made by King Ropes of Sheridan, and one bell covered with pictures of children, being made by Boy and Girl Scouts, children in Special Olympics and Boys and Girls Club members.

PoliticalFest will be at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, at 12^th and Arch streets in Halls A and B. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children, students, seniors and active military. Event information is available at PoliticalFest.com. Tickets are on sale at all Ticketmaster ticket centers, including Boscov’s, Strawbridges, Tower Records, and select West Coast Video stores. Tickets are available on-site at the event, on-line at www.ticketmaster.com, or by phone at (215) 336-2000, (856) 338-9000, (570) 693-4100 or (302) 984-2000. Group discounts available.

For information about travel to Philadelphia, call (888) GO-PHILA or visit www.gophila.com.

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