Contact: Despina Tunberg World Wide Art Books 5383 Hollister Ave, # 140 93111 Santa Barbara CA Tel / Fax                    +1 805 683 3899           +1 805 683 3899 E-Mail - dt@wwab.us  Website: www.wwab.us   New Art Book Celebrates the Work of Modern Artists From Around the World With no real center to today’s art world, the February release of WorldWide ArtBooks’ (WWAB) Annual International Contemporary Masters Volume III shows that innovation in art is still thriving in many, perhaps unexpected, corners of the globe. The book, produced by international curator, Despina Tunberg, traces the latest trends of today’s art, by featuring the works of select artists from around the world, who are helping shape the evolution of modern art. “As a gallery owner in both Europe and the United States, I’ve seen how artists of varied esteem can spend time struggling to show their art, when what they really want to focus on is creating it,” said Tunberg, who founded World Wide ArtBooks in 2004. “I created International Contemporary Masters as a luxury art publication that would serve as a tool through which artists can introduce their work to the public and the art world alike. The book also brings lesser-known artists of high caliber to the public eye.” International Contemporary Masters Volume III features more than 230 artists from nearly 50 countries and nearly 400 works of art. Each artist was selected by a committee according to strict criteria of originality and proficiency. The history of the artist was not so important, as WWAB’s editors were looking for artists breaking new ground, who’s names may not yet have been discovered. Media presented in the book includes painting, mixed media, sculpture, photography, digital art and installation. In addition to producing the book itself, Tunberg offers featured artists support by organizing exhibitions to show their latest works. On February 29, WWAB and the Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Arts are presenting the first of three shows in Las Vegas, NV displaying the work of artists from 21 countries, who appeared in the 2008 & 2009 editions of International Contemporary Masters. While the International Contemporary Masters series had its beginnings in Greece, in the International Art Festival of Chania, an annual event that attracted the participation of hundreds of artists from all over the world, it is now produced in the United States and shipped to artists around the globe.  About World Wide ArtBooks For 15 years, WWAB’s founder, Despina Tunberg worked as a curator of the Omma Centre of Contemporary Art in Chania, Crete, where she organized themed exhibitions and international gatherings of artists and artworks. In 2004, she opened a second Omma gallery in Santa Barbara, CA. The vibrant catalogues that emerged from these eclectic exhibitions are what helped inspire her to found Word Wide ArtBooks. Members of the art world – first and foremost, artists themselves, gallery owners, museum curators, collectors and critics – have since begun to realize the worth of such an ongoing presentation, and the value of this particular presentation. Tunberg plans to keep International Contemporary Masters growing constantly and offering an ever more comprehensive depiction of the whole span of the visual arts today. Published by World Wide Art Books www.wwab.us Curator: Despina Tunberg

Garden Bliss  an International Award Winner.

Press Release: For Imediate Release                                        August 3, 2009 Youssef Rami Earns International Arts Recognition   Youssef Rami of Toronto, Ontario, Canada is awared Second Place in the 2 dimensional art category at Infinity Art Gallery's premiere Exhibit 09-ONE.  As juror Patric Baylis-Andre states, "Garden Bliss" surges with an energy far removed from our ordinary association with the serenity of gardens. The values play against the colors in perfect balance and the organization of the contrasts has a rhythmic flow – a vivid directness that belies any accident on the part of the artist and speaks rather of a skillful intention."     "Garden Bliss" (Oil, 36 inch x 24 inch) is one of  60 pieces jury selected from over 200 works of art from 14 countries in Europe, Africa, the Americas and Asia.  Visit the gallery online at www.InfinityArtGallery.com and read below for more information.  (See attached image for print release) Exhibit 09-One AWARD WINNERS First Place and Founders' Choice winners (Clockwise in the above image) are: (2D) Susana Boettner, Buenos Aires, Argentina; (3D) Stephen White, Eugene, Oregon, USA; (Founders') Stef Duffy, New York, New York, USA; and (Photo/Digital) Matruka Sherman, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. Second Place winners are: (3D) Roger Reutimann, Boulder, Colorado, USA; (Photo/Digital) Myriam H. Bjerkli, Larvik, Norway; and (2D) Youssef Rami, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Third Place winners are: (3D) Bozena Kaluga, London, UK; (Photo/Digital) Virginia Saunders, Columbia, South Carolina, USA; and (2D) Annette Zalanowski, Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA. Thoughts and Reflections of a Juror By Patric Paylis-Andre: 2D Juror, Exhibit 09-ONE I was intrigued by the concept of a "virtual art gallery," this being my first 'up close and personal' experience with one. My past professional experience has mainly been with a 'real' 3D gallery, the famed Galleria Proteo of the 50's and 60's in Mexico City, of which I was an integral part for many years as a painter. The term "real" of course conjures up an old and philosophically eternal conundrum of just "what is real." Technology and its reduction of our universe to a 'global village' creates vast new possibilities that almost daily transform into ever expanding realities.   We, the Jury by Patric Baylis-Andre The function of art is the creation of order out of the chaos of human experience; to clarify, intensify and enlarge our experience of life, and the infinitely varied expressions of the human spirit. Art should transcend geography, language or race and speak directly and unfettered to the heart of a mutual yearning. All of the Arts make up the history of civilization; what people have thought and felt and believed over the ages. They are the most complete witnesses to the nature of the times and places that produced them. The philosopher, John Dewey, felt the unique purpose of art is to make human nature intelligible to itself -- that art is a way of communicating knowledge about a mystical reality greater than that set down by science. What is needed to accomplish this is the meeting of wide cultural backgrounds that bring an incredible wealth of personal human experience and boundless creative imagination together in one place, in one time, in peace and harmony: to celebrate creation, not destruction. In our history, as we know it, mankind has failed heretofore to accomplish this, it is to be devoutly desired and hopefully anticipated that our age of rapidly developing technology (now in its infancy) holds that promise for the future betterment of our planet, and for us. InfinityArtGallery.com is most certainly a step in that direction.