November 25, 2009 (RALEIGH, NC) –

Kim Weiss, owner and operator of Blueplate PR, a boutique public relations agency located in downtown Raleigh, is best known for her work with clients who are involved in creative and artistic endeavors. Since 2006, she has served as publicist for RICA instructor Jason Craighead, an award-winning artist whose work is regularly exhibited in gallery and museum shows and has been featured in numerous publications.

RICA is founded by Raleigh artist Mia Yoon , an accomplished artist who is represented locally by Flanders Art Gallery.

“I’m truly honored that Mia trusts Blueplate PR to get the word out about their remarkable new art institute,” Weiss said. “RICA is unlike anything in the area. It’s not an ‘arts and crafts center,’ like so many in the Triangle. It’s an arts institute founded by artists for artists, with recognized artists as instructors for students of all levels, from the beginner to the accomplished professional who wants to grow and expand his or her horizons. It could be compared to the iconic Black Mountain College in Asheville that closed in 1956, or the Art Students League of New York. RICA will bring that level of sophistication to arts education that hasn’t been seen in this area before. I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of that mission.”

RICA will hold its first pre-registration for class sessions on December 4 from 5 to 9 p.m. at 300 Blake Street in Raleigh’s City Market complex. The sessions will begin January 18. RICA is located at 2123 Atlantic Avenue.

For more information on RICA, go to www.ricanc.com. For more information on Blueplate PR, visit www.blueplatepr.com.

About the Raleigh Institute of Contemporary Art:

Located at 2123 Atlantic Avenue in Raleigh, the art institute offers a wide variety of art classes taught via six-week sessions with one three-hour class per week. All instructors are regionally, nationally and internationally accomplished artists who believe in the need for on-going education for all artists, regardless of skill level. Classes are available from Youth and beginner to advanced. For more information, go to www.ricanc.com. RICA is also available on Facebook.

About Blueplate PR:

Blueplate PR is owned and operated by award-winning journalist and former magazine editor Kim Weiss. It is a small and cost-effective boutique public relations agency with a fee structure optimized for modest PR budgets. This makes Blueplate PR the ideal solution for small firms, companies, businesses and individuals with limited marketing budgets. For more information visit www.blueplatepr.com. Blueplate PR is also available on Facebook and maintains a blog: http://kjw27612.wordpress.com.

Pre-registration for inaugural classes to be held in December

November 16, 2009 (RALEIGH, NC) – The Raleigh Institute of Contemporary Art (RICA), an atelier school founded by artists for artists of all levels in the Triangle area, will hold its first pre-registration on Friday, December 4, from 5-9 p.m. at 300 Blake Street in downtown Raleigh’s City Market complex.

The event will include an exhibit of works by RICA instructors.

The brainchild of well-known Raleigh artist Mia Yoon, RICA’s mission is “to provide an affordable, high-quality institute for art education that will give all aspiring artists a place to reach their greatest potential,” said Yoon, who attended both the Pratt Institute and Art Students League in New York. “We want RICA to be a community of artists who come together to teach and learn, very similar to my experiences at the Art Students League in New York where both new and very successful artists can take a variety of courses to expand their horizons and grow.”

RICA’s instructors are all regionally, nationally, and internationally recognized professional artists with a contemporary perspective. The inaugural roster of instructors includes: Jason Craighead, Marty Baird, Lope Max Diaz, Bill Koeb, Dave Green, Gayle Stott Lowry, Gerry Lynch, David McConnell, Jonathan Peedin, Shaun Richard, and Derek Toomes, as well as Mia Yoon.

Examples of each instructors’ own work will be on display during the December 4th pre-registration in City Market.

“By design, our instructors bring a range of artistic philosophies and approaches to the educational process,” Yoon said. “We all share the belief that education is the foundation of great art communities. We also believe that on-going education is the foundation for great artists.”

RICA class sessions will span six weeks with one three-hour session per week. Each six-week session is $250. Individual courses range from a Youth Class taught by Derek Toomes and Mary Baird’s Basic Drawing class to Lope Max Diaz’s Advanced Painting and Jason Craighead’s Freeform Drawing classes.

Yoon noted that new instructors will be added in the future.

Scheduled to open January 18, 2010, the Raleigh Institute of Contemporary Art is located at 2123 Atlantic Avenue. For more information, go to www.ricanc.com or call 919-800-0208.

About the Raleigh Institute of Contemporary Art:

Founded by artists Mia Yoon, the Raleigh Institute of Contemporary Art is committed to maintaining an affordable, high quality art education for all who wish to engage in the process of making art. Located at 2123 Atlantic Avenue in Raleigh, the art institute offers a wide variety of art classes taught via six-week sessions with one three-hour class per week. All instructors are regionally, nationally and internationally accomplished artists who believe in the need for on-going education for all artists, regardless of skill level. Classes are available from Youth and beginner to advanced. For more information go to www.ricanc.com.