For Immediate Release

‘U TOUCAN PAINT’ IS THEME OF HOOT’S ANNUAL DECORATIVE PAINTING CONVENTION FROM AUGUST 13-18

“U TouCan Paint” is the theme of the Heart of Ohio Tole (HOOT) Chapter’s 32nd Annual Convention from August 13-18 at the SMG-managed Greater Columbus Convention Center.

“The public can come in to the show. We want them to come in and see what our vendors have to offer them,” said Jayne Blevins of HOOT. “We’re excited to be here again. The ladies who come have a great time.”

Registration is required for the more than 200 painting classes offered for a variety of skill levels and mediums, such as acrylic, oil, watercolor and colored pencils. New this year is a series of “two-hour specials” classes that are much briefer than the traditionally longer sessions.

Open to the public are the exhibits of about 100 vendors with craft supplies for hobbies including stenciling, scrapbooking and decorative painting, as well as the art show and gift shop, where HOOT artists offer their creations for sale, including the ceramic toucans capturing this year’s theme.

Public hours for exploring Exhibit Hall C are:
• Thursday, August 16 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Friday, August 17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Saturday, August 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Admission is $7 on August 16 and August 17. Two guests can be admitted for the price of one on August 18. Three-day admission passes are $15.
Quilts of Valor will be on display from August 16-18 within the exhibit hall. A hand-painted queen-size quilt and two heirloom painted quilts will be raffled for the benefit of the United Service Organizations (USO) of Central Ohio.

“There will be nine Quilts of Valor quilted by people who donate their time,” said Suzanne Olson of HOOT.

“The quilts will go to servicemen who come home wounded,” added Blevins.

Tole painting is historically known for decorative painting on tin. Today’s decorative painters utilize pre-drawn and freeform designs to express their creativity in a step-by-step painting process on a variety of functional surfaces and canvases.

HOOT is known for its philanthropic endeavors, particularly the Memory Box Program. Since 1998, members have painted thousands of treasure boxes to give to area hospitals. Nurses place the few keepsakes a family may have of a child lost to premature death in the boxes and then present the boxes to the bereaved families.

Members have also painted large flower pots for the “Plant Pride on Parsons” neighborhood revitalization project and decorated bras that were auctioned for the benefit of the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research.

This year, HOOT painted 20 flower pots in commemoration of the city’s bicentennial.

HOOT was founded in 1975 and became an affiliate of the Society of Decorative Painters (SDP), an international group, the following year. It is now one of SDP’s largest and busiest SDP chapters.

“HOOT members utilize a systematic approach in teaching this art form to enable students to succeed even without previous drawing experience,” said SMG Regional General Manager Craig M. Liston.

The Greater Columbus Convention Center, located in downtown Columbus, hosted an estimated 2.5 million visitors in 2011. The facility is owned by the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority and is managed by SMG.

Since 1977, SMG has provided management services to more than 220 public assembly facilities including arenas, stadiums, theatres and performing arts centers, equestrian facilities and convention, congress and exhibition centers. With facilities across the globe, SMG manages more than 11 million square feet of exhibition space. As the recognized global industry leader, SMG provides construction and design consulting, pre-opening services, venue management, sales, marketing, event booking and programming. SMG also offers food and beverage operations through an in-house catering company, Savor, currently servicing more than 100 accounts worldwide.

Visit www.columbusconventions.com and www.smgworld.com for more information.
Contact:
Jennifer B. Davis
Marketing & Communications Manager
Greater Columbus Convention Center
(614) 827-2538