National expert, local artist expose tobacco company's marketing tactics

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Thursday, April 21, 2005

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - National tobacco expert Dr. Alan Blum and a local artist who fought back when her artwork was used without her permission by Camel cigarettes and R.J. Reynolds will appear tomorrow in two Seattle events.

"Most of my clients have been companies that appeal to kids and teens, and when I saw my work stolen and used as an icon to promote a deadly product to kids, I was extremely upset," said Seattle artist Michiko Stehrenberger.

Stehrenberger and Dr. Blum, curator of "Cartoonists Take Up Smoking," will be present at two events on Friday, April 22. The events are sponsored by Public Health — Seattle & King County, Artpatch and Cornish College.

Dr. Blum and Stehrenberger will be speaking at 11:30 a.m. at Cornish College of the Arts. Dr. Blum will give an overview of tobacco sponsorship efforts over the last 50 years and Stehrenberger will share more about her story. Address is Cornish Downtown, Main Campus Center, 1000 Lenora Street, room 309, Seattle.

Dr. Blum will host a curator's reception for "Cartoonists Take Up Smoking" at the Artworks Gallery at 7:00 p.m. The "Cartoonists" show is making its Seattle stop on a national tour, and it contains many familiar and famous names in editorial cartooning. The show is an irreverent and thought provoking look at 100 years of tobacco prevention and the controversies surrounding smoking and second hand smoke. Address is Artworks Gallery, 1914 4th Avenue, Seattle.

Artpatch is a collaborative project developed by Public Health's Tobacco Prevention Program and Cornish College of the Arts to raise public awareness of efforts by tobacco companies to use the local arts community as a marketing tool for their products. Visit: www.artpatch.org

Providing effective and innovative health and disease prevention services for over 1.8 million residents and visitors of King County, Public Health — Seattle & King County works for safer and healthier communities for everyone, every day.

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