GREAT VALLEY CENTER COMMUNITY OPENING FEATURES TILES BY MATTHEW FRYE

FRESNO, CA: (July 22, 2003)–-- Please join Matthew Frye and the Central Valley's community as they help Great Valley Center mark the opening of their permanent office located at 201 Needham Street, in Modesto, California on July 24, 2003. The day’s activities will begin at 10 AM with a brief ceremony and ribbon cutting followed by an community open house until 4:30 PM.

“I love what the Great Valley Center is doing for the Valley”, said Matthew Frye, “I look forward to seeing the future growth and development of our region due to creative ideas and leadership of the Great Valley Center. It is not everyday that one receives the opportunity to be an artistic contributor to the vision of such a great organization here in the California’s heartland.”

The Great Valley Center purchased and renovated a former Modesto church built in 1922. Honoring this historic landmark, Great Valley Center commissioned Matthew Frye to create tiles evocative of the building’s era. In addition, Great Valley Center desired that Matthew Frye design motifs reflective of the San Joaquin Valley.

Matthew Frye’s artistic tiles were extensively used throughout the building. The young artist from Fresno was tasked with introducing an Art Nouveau look that would compliment the restoration of an Art Deco building and evoke images of the California Central Valley. “Working closely with Great Valley Center and Gensler Architecture and Interior Design Firm out of San Francisco, we incorporated indigenous motifs such as: red squirrel, California Quail, California Poppy, and grape vines. All of which reflect California Central Valley’s animal and fauna life,” said Matthew Frye.

About Great Valley Center
The Great Valley Center is a private, non-profit, and non-partisan organization working to improve California’s “Great Central Valley”. Its mission is to support activities and organizations that promote the economic, social and environmental well being of California’s “Great Central Valley”. To learn more, please visit: http://www.greatvalley.org

About the Artist
Matthew Frye, an emerging artist, seeks inspiration from his love of God, agriculture, fishermen, and the humor of life. Matthew studied in Florence, London, and Paris. He began pursuing painting seriously at Pepperdine University and continued drawing, painting and sculpture at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. Matthew Frye’s artwork is being collected throughout California.

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