CINCINNATI (OH) – The Official Poster of the 2012 World Choir Games, designed by renowned illustrator C.F. Payne, and the Champions Trophy, created by The Rookwood Pottery Co., were unveiled Tuesday at the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Annual Meeting at the Duke Energy Convention Center.

The 18x32 poster, printed by Cincinnati’s RPI Graphics, will retail for $30. Signed and numbered 18x34 limited edition prints, of which there are only 200, will retail for $75. Both are available through the 2012 World Choir Games website, www.2012worldchoirgames.com.

Payne, a Cincinnati native and award-winning illustrator, was commissioned to capture the international flavor of the Games and the spirit of Cincinnati USA.

"I hope that through the print people can feel the energy of this event coming to Cincinnati,” Payne said. “Equally I hope it serves as a positive reminder of this historic event when it becomes a memory."

The “Olympics of choral music,” held every two years, will take place in Cincinnati USA from July 4–14, 2012, and promises to be the biggest international event in Cincinnati USA’s history. The World Choir Games is the signature event of Germany-based INTERKULTUR, which produces choral festivals all over the world.

“We are happy to find such great community support for the 7th World Choir Games,” INTERKULTUR President Günter Titsch said. ”When we, in Germany, saw the designs for the poster and trophy, we were so excited. We know the singers and directors will love these. It just adds to the excitement of the event.”

Rookwood, historic maker of one-of-a-kind handcrafted architectural tile and art pottery, chose a winning design from a pool of submissions from students at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning at the University of Cincinnati.

Rookwood is awarding $1,000 to Eunha Chung, an Art Academy student and former science teacher who participated in the contest, for her 14-inch design – an elegant, bud-shaped cup adorned with a musical staff. Chung, a visual communications design student in her senior year, was born and raised in Seoul, Korea, and moved to Cincinnati in 2006.

The Rookwood-produced trophies will be awarded to the Champion of the World Choir Games in each of 23 musical categories. The champion is the gold-medal winning choir in The Champions Competition with the highest score in its genre from a panel of seven international judges.

“Eunha’s design captures the essence of the World Choir Games’ message – that music is a universal language – and combines it with the unique dynamics of clay,” said Martin Wade, chairman of Rookwood Pottery. “It is positive, inspiring and energetic, reflecting the games’ purpose of fostering an international community. We are so privileged to create the awards that the participants will carry home.”

About C.F. Payne
Payne’s illustrations have been featured nationally and internationally over the past four decades in publications including TIME, Reader’s Digest and Sports Illustrated and in children’s books, including Earnest Thayer’s baseball classic “Casey at the Bat,” Steve Martin’s “Late for School” and Ogden Nash’s just-released “Line Up for Yesterday: An ABC of Baseball Immortals.” Payne is chairman of the Illustration Department at Columbus College of Art & Design. His work has appeared throughout the region at venues such as Playhouse in the Park, the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum and the Cincinnati Art Museum. The most recent addition is one of ArtWorks’ 12 regional summer mural projects. “The Singing Mural,” featuring famous Cincinnatians singing together, was designed by Payne and inspired by Cincinnati’s deep musical heritage. www.CFPayne.com

About Rookwood Pottery:
Founded in 1880 by Maria Longworth Nichols as the first female-owned U.S. manufacturing company, Rookwood Pottery won the grand prize at the 1889 Paris Expo, transforming the world’s perception of American art. It became one of America’s most coveted luxury brands in the 20th century and can be found in grand homes, hotels and public spaces including Union Terminal in Cincinnati, the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, and Grand Central Station, New York. From its studios in Cincinnati, Rookwood’s uniquely talented artists craft art tile, art pottery, corporate gifts and commissioned products for designers, architects, homeowners and businesses. Rookwood sets the standard for what can be achieved in design and ceramics. www.rookwood.com.

About INTERKULTUR:
INTERKULTUR, the founding organization of the World Choir Games based in Pohlheim, Germany, has ties to 120,000 choirs made up of 4.8 million choral singers around the world. In more than 20 years since INTERKULTUR was established, more than 5,800 choirs and some 260,000 singers from 100 nations have taken part in the World Choir Games and INTERKULTUR's regional choir competitions. www.interkultur.com.
Procter & Gamble is presenting sponsor