For Immediate Release Sept. 1, 2005 - Los Angeles How The Peace in Iraq Could Be Won Using Art and Technology Instead of Guns and Bombs Maggie Cuesta, an American art professor who was born in Cuba, was convinced she’d never see this day come. “I never thought I’d see the day when Americans would freely go to Cuba and participate in an event specifically intended to build bonds of trust and friendship”. Real collaboration between Americans and Cubans is here today, despite the politicians. Maggie attended Shared Dreams: Cuba and the U.S Across The Digital Divide in Havana. It’s part of the International Digital Design Conference held annually in Cuba. Designers and artists from around the world have proven that people of disparate cultural backgrounds can collaborate to deliver powerful messages of peace and security. America: Slow to Get Into the Game Artists from Europe, Asia, and South America have been participating in this event for seven years. 2005 marks only the 2nd year of U.S. participation in the event. “America is slow to get in the game, as it’s been harder to visit Cuba under the Bush administration” says Larry Richard. “If this brand of digital and artistic collaboration were expanded into other areas, the U.S wouldn’t be the recipient of such animosity from other countries. Perhaps, if we had been building friendships one artist at a time, the Iraq War may never have needed to have been fought.” Premier: the fruits of this new cross-cultural collaboration. The West Coast premier of Shared Dreams 2005 will at the EpoxyBox Gallery in Venice, CA on October 14th. It will feature the entire original collection of Cuban and American art produced for the Conference in Havana, before heading off to Galleries in New York and Miami. Meet the Cuban Artists via Web Simulcast: The Cuban artists will be available for interview via Web Simulcast on October 14th from 5pm – 7pm. MEDIA CONTACT: Larry Richard Phone: 310-228-3600 x212 Email: larry@2breakthrough.com