BMW TO SHOWCASE 1979 ANDY WARHOL M1 ART CAR AT ARTCETERA 2013 IN BOSTON

September 3, 2013 by BMW

Woodcliff Lake, N.J. – September, 3, 2013 . . . BMW of North America is pleased to feature its M1 Art Car by Andy Warhol at Boston's annual ARTcetera fundraising event to support the AIDS Action Committee. Originally raced in Le Mans, Warhol's hand painted BMW M1 is the 4th in the Art Car collection, and showcases the artist's unique depiction of speed. In his own words, Warhol described the piece as 'Portraying speed pictorially. If a car is moving really quickly, all the lines and colors are blurred.'

The Art Car series began in 1975 when Le Mans driver Hervé Poulain commissioned American artist Alexander Calder to transform his racecar into a canvas. Since then, the collection has gone on to feature dynamic and impressive artists from around the world, including Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, and Robert Rauschenberg. Warhol's M1 Art Car has amassed an impressive resume from museums and galleries worldwide, and will serve as the perfect complement to the high caliber pieces up for auction at ARTcetera.

Additionally, the Massachusetts BMW centers are pleased to announce their first year of sponsorship for ARTcetera 2013. Established by Boston area artists as a response to the AIDS epidemic in the early 1980's, ARTcetera has flourished into one of New England's premier art auctions, as well as an invaluable yearly fundraising event for AIDS Action. ARTcetera asks artists, both established and emerging, to submit pieces representative of their unique style across a wide range of mediums. In addition to the artwork, local and national sponsors help to ensure the annual continuation of the program. The event will be held on Saturday, October 5, 2013 at the Park Plaza Castle in Boston. Information for purchasing tickets or making donations can be found at www.aac.org.

As a longtime proponent of the arts, BMW is proud to partner with ARTcetera 2013. For years, BMW has been a long term partner of Art Basel, Art Basel Hong Kong, Art Basel Miami Beach, Frieze London and New York, as well as Tefaf Maastricht and many other international artistic gatherings. With more than 100 programs worldwide, BMW Group cultural commitment has been an essential part of corporate communications for over 40 years. Unrestricted freedom of creative potential is equally crucial for the field of art as it is for groundbreaking innovations within a business enterprise. Accordingly, the BMW Group places the main focus of its cultural commitment on modern and contemporary art, jazz and classical music as well as architecture and design.