Search for Art!
Ray Goldenberg
I received this press release from Cunard and thought it would be of
interest. If you have missed any of my news' postings, they are
available on my web site.
Best regards,
Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
http://www.lighthousetravel.com
Multi-Million Dollar Search for Art To Be Displayed Aboard Queen Mary
2
MIAMI FL, May 22
The hunt is on for a royal treasure trove of fine art to decorate the
cabins, companionways and public rooms of Cunard Line's highly
anticipated liner, Queen Mary 2. The London-based marine interior
design firms Tillberg Design and the Design Team created detailed
specifications for a multi-million dollar contract to supply nearly
5,000 works of art for the pleasure of the 2,620 guests aboard the
150,000-ton ship. The contract has been awarded to the Netherlands art
consultant firm Onderneming & Kunst (Enterprise & Art).
``Queen Mary 2 will be the largest passenger ship ever built,'' said
Deborah Natansohn, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for
Cunard. ``Therefore, it's only proper that she should possess an art
collection worthy of her status. Cunard Line has always been a patron
of the arts, and Cunard liners have always been repositories of fine
art. QM2 will continue this tradition in grand style,'' Natansohn
stated.
The firm expects to award commissions for well over 300 original
works, which will be created especially for QM2 by renowned
international artists. Works will range from free-standing bronze and
glass sculptures to expansive murals, oil paintings, watercolors,
mosaics, reliefs, models and many other works. Major elements of the
liner's art collection will include a sculptural relief of some 450
square feet, a 300 square-foot tapestry, a number of oil paintings in
the range of 250-300 square feet each, several groupings of oversized
bronze sculptures and a trompe l'oeuil painted ceiling of 1,200 square
feet. In addition, the company will supply some 4,000 limited edition
prints for use in cabins and companionways on board.
There will be time for the paint to dry, however. The massive ship is
scheduled to be delivered in late 2003 by the Alstom Chantiers de
L'Atlantique shipyard in Saint Nazaire, France. Recent tank tests were
successfully completed on a model of the liner's hull, and
construction is due to begin early next year. Bidding also is underway
to supply the massive quantities of other materials and fixtures
needed to complete this, the first purpose-built ocean liner built in
a generation. Carpets, furnishings, wiring and acres of linens and
fabrics all must be selected and ordered, as well as the technical and
mechanical elements that will make the vast machine capable of
steaming across the North Atlantic at over 30 miles per hour.
The two sets of huge fin-like stabilizers that help control the
rolling of the ship in Atlantic swells, for instance, were recently
ordered from Britain's Rolls Royce company. Even the steel plating for
the sleek 1,131- foot-long hull is a special order, being several
times thicker than that used on most contemporary ships, to achieve
the greater rigidity required for crossing the Atlantic in all
weathers.
Cunard Line, one of the world's most recognized brand names with a
classic British heritage, has been in the business of providing luxury
ocean travel for more than 160 years. The Cunard fleet includes famed
Queen Elizabeth 2 and Caronia. To book a Cunard cruise, please
contact your travel professional.
Cunard Line is a unit of Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL) and a member
of the exclusive World's Leading Cruise Lines alliance, which also
includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Seabourn Cruise Line, Holland America
Line, Costa Cruises and Windstar Cruises. Together, these member lines
share a commitment to quality and value, offering cruise vacations
that appeal to the widest range of lifestyles and budgets and sail to
some of the world's most exciting destinations.