Known as one of the "Fathers of Pop Art," Roy Lichtenstein's visual masterpieces and influence will soon be celebrated at both at the Art Institute of Chicago and on Bank of America's iconic mural wall space adjacent to the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago.

Bank of America announced today a unique student art partnership with the Art Institute of Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), in conjunction with its global sponsorship of the new "Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective" exhibit that debuts at the Art Institute of Chicago on May 16. The partnership demonstrates the bank's support of the local community by creating shared cultural experiences and fostering art education in Chicago.

Students from SAIC were recently asked to create original artwork that is a tribute to Chicago and in the style of Pop Art. A selection committee, comprised of representatives from the three partnering organizations, the Estate of Roy Lichtenstein and advertising agency BBDO, will then choose one student's design to be painted as the mural to adorn three walls of the building that is located off the Kennedy Expressway near N. Ashland Ave. and W. Armitage Ave. in the Bucktown neighborhood.

The commissioned artist's work will be announced in mid-March and then unveiled on the wall mural prior to the new Lichtenstein exhibition opening. The wall currently displays a placeholder to give the public a "teaser" about what is to come and directs them to bankofamerica.com/chicago to learn more about the program.

"Bank of America is proud to support Roy Lichtenstein's legacy and encourage a new generation of artists to celebrate what makes Chicago such a great city," said Tim Maloney, Illinois president for Bank of America. "This partnership demonstrates our continued commitment to support arts organizations, and strengthens the economic and social health of our local communities."

"Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective" is the first scholarly assessment of the full scope and breadth of the foremost Pop artist's career since his death in 1997. Bank of America is the global sponsor of the exhibit, which will be on display at the Art Institute of Chicago from May 16 to Sept. 13, with subsequent stops in Washington, D.C., London and Paris.

"Bank of America's sponsorship of the Lichtenstein exhibition and creative partnership with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago will bring even greater recognition to the work of this iconic American Pop artist," said Douglas Druick, president, and Eloise W. Martin, director of the Art Institute of Chicago. "This is an exciting way to celebrate this groundbreaking exhibition. Moreover, it serves the museum's mission to make art as widely accessible as possible, and this mural program extends our commitment to support the city through extensive outreach and education programs for the communities we serve."

The commission not only provides a School of the Art Institute of Chicago student with an opportunity to have their original artwork viewed by approximately 400,000 people each day, but also will help jumpstart their career in the arts. Updates on the program, including announcements, and videos and photos of the mural's progress, will be available online at bankofamerica.com/chicago, and also disseminated via Twitter (@BofA_Community) and Facebook.

"Bank of America is creating an unparalleled opportunity for SAIC's talented students to create a design for an 8,600 square foot canvas in Chicago," said Walter Massey, president, School of the Art Institute of Chicago. "This unique commission is a fitting challenge for our students to effectively apply the creative and critical abilities that they've acquired while studying on the largest school-museum campus in the United States."

Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago is a world-renowned art museum housing one of the largest permanent collections in the United States. An encyclopedic museum, the Art Institute collects, preserves, and displays works in every medium from all cultures and historical periods as well as hosts special exhibitions. With a collection of more than 260,000 art works and artifacts, the museum has particularly strong holdings in Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painting, early 20th century European painting and sculpture, contemporary art, Japanese prints, and photography. The museum just completed the largest expansion in its 130-year history, the internationally acclaimed Modern Wing designed by Renzo Piano. The Modern Wing features the latest in green museum technology and 264,000 square feet dedicated to modern and contemporary art, photography, architecture and design, and new museum education facilities. In addition to displaying its permanent collection, the Art Institute mounts approximately 40 special exhibitions per year and features lectures, gallery tours, and special performances on a daily basis.

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

A leader in educating artists, designers, and scholars since 1866, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) offers nationally accredited undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate programs to nearly 3,200 students from around the globe. Located in the heart of Chicago, SAIC has an educational philosophy that is built upon an interdisciplinary approach to art and design, giving students unparalleled opportunities to develop their creative and critical abilities, while working with renowned faculty who include many of the leading practitioners in their fields. SAIC's resources include the Art Institute of Chicago and its new Modern Wing; numerous special collections and programming venues provide students with exceptional exhibitions, screenings, lectures, and performances. For more information, please visit saic.edu.

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small- and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 57 million consumer and small business relationships with approximately 5,700 retail banking offices and approximately 17,750 ATMs and award-winning online banking with 30 million active users. Bank of America is among the world's leading wealth management companies and is a global leader in corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations in more than 40 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

For more Bank of America news, visit the Bank of America newsroom.

www.bankofamerica.com

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Reporters May Contact:
Diane Wagner, Bank of America
(312) 992-2370, diane.wagner@bankofamerica.com
Erin Hogan, Art Institute of Chicago
(312) 443-3664, ehogan@artic.edu
John Eding, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
(312) 629-6138, jeding@saic.edu