Monday, May 22, 2023

Media Contact:
Stephen Howard | Manager of Communications | 405-744-4363 | stephen.howard@okstate.edu

A good elevator pitch can be a 60-second work of art. In the time it takes to zip
up a few floors, a crafty salesperson can articulate what they’re about and how their
talents can elevate an organization.

Angel Freytez Jr., 20, happens to be a natural. In March, Freytez’s elevator pitch
helped the Spears School of Business Center for Sales and Service Excellence (CSSE)
earn a top-10 finish at the Arizona Collegiate Sales Competition in Tempe. The hardest
part for Freytez is squeezing his remarkable story into just 60 seconds. His pitch
goes like this:

“Hi, my name is Angel Freytez Jr. I’m a marketing and international business senior
at Oklahoma State University. I’m eager to tell you how I can drive up sales at your
company with my drive, discipline and leadership.

“First, my drive. At the age of 16, I graduated high school in Venezuela. Frustrated
from the lack of civil liberties and opportunities, I decided to move to the United
States. Working two part-time jobs while learning English taught me a lot about business,
which I’d be able to translate in a role at your company.

“Second, my discipline. I spent the past two summers working for the Sewell Automotive
group, a car sales company in Texas, learning their sales process. Having the ability
to integrate a human touch into that process is what differentiates me from other
sales associates.

“Lastly, my leadership. I currently serve as the president of Theta Chi fraternity
at OSU, which allows me to oversee and manage an executive board of 16 members to
achieve our goals and overcome challenges. I’m eager now to find my career, so I’d
love to talk with you about opportunities at your company.”

That isn’t your average elevator pitch, but then again Freytez isn’t your average
college student. He’s the type of person who is never going to let his circumstances
stop him from succeeding — a lesson he learned in his home country of Venezuela, where
opportunities are few.

For decades, Venezuela was one of the most developed and prosperous countries in the
world, that is, until the political upheaval of the 1980s and 1990s. Two military
coup attempts in 1992 went hand-in-hand with severe political corruption and an economic
crisis that saw the gross domestic product of the country fall by a third. Hyperinflation
caused the purchasing power of the average salary in Venezuela to drop by two-thirds
in just a 20-year span.

Freytez was born in 2002, just four years after Hugo Chaves and his totalitarian regime
took office, and his parents simply didn’t see a future in Venezuela for their family.
They instilled Angel with a drive for success and they knew his path to prosperity
would go through America.

“For young professionals, for students, there are no opportunities,” Freytez said.
“You’re basically going to go to school for four or five years, and if you somehow
get a job it’s going to pay you nothing. It’s not going to be enough for you to make
a living. But I was fortunate that I was born in the U.S. when my dad was here training
as a firefighter.”

One of the places Angel Freytez Sr. was training to be a firefighter was at OSU Fire
Service Training, which is among the elite instruction centers for emergency responders.
The quiet Stillwater community made an impression on Angel Sr., and he knew that OSU
would be the perfect school for his son to attend someday.

After Angel’s Jr.’s sophomore year of high school, he and his father made the 2,582-mile
trek from Caracas to Stillwater with a goal of finding a path forward, an eventual
landing spot for the 14-year-old who didn’t speak a word of English.

After touring the town, they wandered into OSU’s Family Resource Center and happened
to meet Ryan Nicklas, who was in the process of earning his master’s degree in teaching
English as a second language while also working for the center. The kindhearted Tulsa
native was making plans for an extended stay in the country of Colombia the following
year, and he immediately saw something in Angel Jr. He decided to help by opening
his home and his talents to the kid from Venezuela.

“So I said, ‘Why don’t you help me with my Spanish, and I’ll help you with your English,’”
Nicklas said. “That’s kind of how it started.”

Angel spent the next few months at the Nicklas’ apartment, where Ryan and his wife,
Gabby, taught English to Angel while getting him accustomed to life in America. They
also mapped out a plan for him to return in two years after he finished high school
in Venezuela.

On Sept. 2, 2018, Angel came back to America to stay with the Nicklases, but this
time it was for good. Angel continued to hone his English and he found a job as a
waiter to save money for school. He also learned how to drive a car thanks to the
patience and bravery of Gabby and Ryan, who suddenly found themselves raising a 16-year-old
despite being in their 20s.

“Sometimes there were these awkward conversations,” Ryan said. “Angel would make friends
and he would say, ‘Hey, I’m going out tonight.’ And we would be like, ‘Where? With
who? What are you going to do? Text us when you get there.’”

Gabby, a 2014 Spears Business management and marketing alumna, chuckles when she thinks
back to those uncomfortable moments where the couple had to balance their desire to
keep Angel safe with the reality that he isn’t actually their son.

“You don’t know until you’re faced with those situations, and then you’re like, oh,
this is what my parents meant when they wanted to know who I was going out with,”
she said.

Gabby is currently pursuing a master’s degree from OSU in global studies and Ryan
is a Ph.D. student in applied linguistics, so Angel couldn’t have hand-picked a better
home to begin his academic pursuits.

It took Angel a year to establish residency, earn enough money to get his own apartment
and enroll at Northern Oklahoma College (NOC) in Stillwater, where he quickly showed
his academic mettle. NOC honored him as the school’s outstanding marketing student
in April 2021.

After transferring to OSU, Angel wasn’t content with simply taking classes. He wanted
to get involved, both socially and academically. Theta Chi fraternity welcomed him
with open arms, and few students have put the resources of Spears Business to work
like Angel. He turned a guest-speaker in professor Dr. Maribeth Kuzmeski’s marketing
class into a multi-year internship at the Sewell Automotive Group, and he put the
Eastin Center for Career Readiness to work crafting his résumé and professional appearance.

He also joined the CSSE, where among other endeavors, he learned to boil his remarkable
story down into a 60-second, award-winning elevator pitch.

“When I say it out loud, it sounds crazy,” said Angel, acknowledging that his journey
to this point has been extraordinary. “At each step, I was just seeing what was in
front of me at the time. I wasn’t looking at the bigger picture. I was just focusing
on what I could do next ­— one step after the other. Looking back at it, it was quite
a bit.”

His next steps could be just as remarkable. Slowly but surely, he’s bringing his family
to the United States. Angel Sr. has relocated to San Marcos, Texas, where he is an
outreach trainer for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and
a senior safety specialist for Texas State University. Angel’s mother, Acelin Mezones,
is in Stillwater on a visitor’s visa, and is applying for citizenship with a goal
to become a nurse or a business owner in town. Angel Jr.’s nephew, 21-year-old Angelo
Freytez (“we treat each other like brothers,” said Angel) will soon start school at
OSU as a pre-med student.

Angel Jr. is spending his summer in Houston as a sales intern for the Sewell Automotive
Group and plans to graduate from OSU with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and international
business with a concentration in sales in December 2023. He could see himself working
for Sewell in a full-time sales capacity in the future, but he’s also considering
law school. Angel would love to help people like himself, who grew up seeking a better
opportunity and don’t know how to make it happen.

“I was fortunate enough that I had people like Ryan and Gabby and that I have really
good family,” Angel said. “A lot of people that immigrate to the U.S., and even some
people that are already in the U.S., they understand that the opportunity is there,
but they don’t have the support beyond those opportunities to help them reach those
goals. I want to help put that structure in place.”

Vince Rea, who has died aged 87, was the founder and director of the Bede gallery in Jarrow, Tyneside, through which he made an important contribution to contemporary art and to Jarrow. The gallery became nationally known through its significant British and international art exhibitions, publications, projects and commissions.

Converted from a former nuclear bunker in Springwell Park, the gallery opened in 1970, and proved excellent for showing artworks. Vince and I met when I was appointed Northern Arts’ visual arts officer in 1974.

Visiting the Bede was a rich experience. You never knew what to expect. Local schools were involved in projects; artists extended exhibitions with related exterior wall murals or sculptural roof installations – Two Dockyard Cranes, Neon Tower and even a representation of Van Gogh’s Bridge at Arles. An artists’ exchange was set up with Jarrow’s twinned town Wuppertal, in Germany.

Vince began collecting artefacts related to Jarrow’s social and industrial past, which were put on display. This history featured in exhibitions such as Palmers Shipyard, about the yard which closed in 1933, The 50th Anniversary of the Jarrow March, 1936 and The Gibbeting of William Jobling, 1832, on Jarrow Slake. Art of the Invisible, 1977, investigated the birth of abstract art.

The River Tyne exhibition was toured to social clubs and community centres. During 1978, Vince photographed street and social life, documenting people and place. Similarly, he commissioned Chris Killip to photograph Jarrow in 1996.

The Bede gallery closed in 1996, and its collection was donated to Tyne & Wear Museums Service. Vince then established the Viking gallery and studios in Jarrow. It was active and engaged, but struggled with no local authority financial support, and closed around 2003.

Born in Jarrow, to Doris (nee Riseborough), a factory worker, and Antonio Rea, a seaman from Italy, Vince attended St Bede’s Roman Catholic school in the town. He joined the merchant navy, before undertaking national service. In the early 60s, Vince worked in marketing while also exhibiting his own paintings. Remarkably, this led to him converting the former nuclear bunker into the Bede gallery.

Vince met Wilhelmina Nee, known as Willa, a local girl, in the mid-1950s, and they married in 1961. She became a dedicated co-worker. Willa died in 2022 and Vince’s older brother, Tony, died in 2009. He is survived by his younger sister, Rita.

Through a methodical and labor-intensive process of layering petals of thin clay, Adelaide-based artist Ellis Moseley creates elegant, airy vessels that appear to flutter where they sit. Using paper-clay slip—a fine-grained, lightweight, and durable ceramic medium made from mixing clay slip with fiber—the sculptures are composed of strips dried on a plaster bat. The individual pieces are then peeled away and applied to a smooth base. He begins at the bottom and works up in a loose spiral, retaining the delicate edges and emphasizing each vessel’s contours.

In his recent exhibition Heist at Hugo Michell Gallery, Moseley focused on a color palette of pastel pinks, blues, and greens, coalescing fine art and functionality. Find more of his slip-cast work on his website.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Paper-Thin Ceramic Pieces Puzzle Together to Form Elegant Vessels by Ellis Moseley appeared first on Colossal.

The plans, which form part of a £70 million investment Mercedes is making on its infrastructure and staff, includes creating a pedestrianised setting, as well as the construction of new marketing buildings, leisure facilities and restaurants to help improve the team’s working environment. 

Alongside development work that has taken place at the main Brackley factory to boost its operational capabilities, the team believes that the new campus, which should be completed by the end of 2025, will help create something that is unrivalled in F1. 

Team principal Toto Wolff told Autosport: “The Brackley campus was built to accommodate 350 people, and today we are at 1250. 

“The development of the campus over the last five years was done at an astonishing pace and this now looks like an F1 team with modern state-of-the-art facilities. 

Mercedes factory aerial view

Photo by: Mercedes AMG

“But what we are planning to do is to expand the campus with multiple new buildings and create a modern style campus, with lots of breakout areas, restaurants, state of the art gyms, new marketing buildings, and getting all the cars out. 

“We want it to become its own little village, with all the amenities and benefits that you would expect from a Silicon Valley style environment.” 

Mercedes believes that a key factor to ensuring long-term success in F1 is investing in people and the environment that they operate in. 

So beyond immediate efforts it has made to help its staff, including a pay rise for 2023 in line with consumer inflation that is running at around 10% in the UK, it sees what it offers at its Brackley facility as essential. 

Wolff added: “All of this is obviously done for our people. We’re not trying to win some kind of architectural prize. 

Mercedes factory aerial view

Photo by: Mercedes AMG

“This is not like some of our competitors did 20 years ago where you are getting lost and probably emphasising more the architecture. Here form follows function, it is not the other way around. But nevertheless, it’s all done to create a great place to work at and spend time.” 

Mercedes has been working on 30 different projects on site to improve its facilities, having spent £40 million so far and committed to another £30 million in the next phases. 

The factory improvements will also incorporate all aspects of the team’s NetZero targets – being powered by 100% renewable energy from onsite and offsite sources. A new car park will also include an on-site solar array. 

A push is also being made on helping develop biodiversity in the area and making use of only reusable and recyclable materials where possible for new construction. The new buildings will also be designed to achieve a recycling target of greater than 60% for office waste.

Mercedes factory aerial view

Photo by: Mercedes AMG

The sixth edition of The Artisan Awards proved to be an event of inspiration and innovation. Hosted by the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), the event unfolded against the opulence of a glamorous evening on 19th May 2023, at St. Regis, Mumbai.

The awards ceremony drew an illustrious crowd, attracting luminaries from the gem & jewellery industry. The winners were felicitated at the gala evening that was attended by the who’s who of the industry. Guest of Honour Mira Kapoor, along with Vipul Shah, Chairman, GJEPC; and Milan Chokshi, Convener of the Promotion, Marketing Sub-committee, GJEPC gave away the awards amidst thunderous applause and cheers.

Each year, The Artisan Awards strives to exceed expectations and inspire participants to unleash their creativity and showcase their unique individualism through this competition.

The theme for this year was indiamoderne, where the world of art inspires jewellery design. The theme was further divided into three distinct categories, each focusing on a different genre, namely, Art of Abstraction, Art of Sculpture, and Art of Print.

The country’s premier annual jewellery design competition drew nearly 600 sketch entries from India and overseas, of which 28 finalists were selected in Round One.

For Round Two, the 28 finalist concept sketches were manufactured into fine renditions. The eminent jury comprising Mira Kapoor, Content Creator & Jewellery Connoisseur; Aparajita Jain, Director and Co-owner, Nature Morte Gallery; Priyanka Khanna, Author; Nikhil Mehra, Fashion Designer, Shantnu & Nikhil; Sajil Shah, Jewellery Artist & Founder, Sajjante; Pernia Qureshi, Co-Founder, Saritoria; and Sriram Natarajan, Managing Director, GIA India, selected 9 winning pieces from the three categories.

Vipul Shah, Chairman, GJEPC, noted, “While India’s global leadership in the gem & jewellery business is an established fact, we need to shape the future where India is revered for its aesthetic artistry, design innovation and commitment to exquisite craftsmanship. To cater to the evolving demands of the global market, we need a fresh wave of young and talented designers who eulogise the preferences of the millennial and Generation Z consumers. Their innovative approaches and creative sensibilities will shape the industry’s future trajectory.

“The Artisan Awards instituted by GJEPC recognises and celebrates the extraordinary creativity and skill of designers both in India and abroad. This year’s theme produced exciting results as designers explored new and innovative concepts in creating wearable art. My heartfelt congratulations to all the winners and finalists of the 6th edition of The Artisan Awards.”

Milan Chokshi, Convener of the Promotion, Marketing & Business Development Subcommittee, GJEPC, expressed, “The Artisan Awards, under the theme of indiamoderne, seeks to celebrate the spirit of creative expression by transcending the boundaries between different artistic disciplines, such as painting, sculpture, print, and jewellery. We believe that this approach, which embraces a plurality of perspectives, will lead to the creation of unique and visually stunning wearable art. And we believe that jewellery, is in fact one of the highest forms of art.

“Through The Artisan Awards, we wish to reinforce this belief and encourage future generations of designers to think beyond traditional boundaries and challenge established norms. We will continue to develop this initiative and ensure that the participants, finalists, and winners get the recognition and credit that is rightfully theirs.”

The eminent judges were of the consensus that the competition was tough, and it was a challenge for them to pick out 9 winners from the 28 finalists spread across the three categories.

Mira Kapoor commented, “I was so impressed by the entries, especially because I’m very fond of jewellery. What stood out to me was the genuine innovation displayed by the designers. The level of detail in some of the pieces was exquisite, with filigree work that I had never seen before. Other pieces paid homage to the classic Art Deco style, while some designers made use of oxidised metals in interesting ways.”

Elaborating on balancing between artistic freedom and commercial considerations, Mira continued, “Jewellery has always been integral to our culture, and we’ve seen it evolve over time. But if you want it to stay relevant, you require new minds with creative genius and a new vision. The Artisan Awards is actually spearheading this initiative, and lending support to artisans and to jewellery designers to think out of the box, and not be limited by money or by what sells in the market, but just think freely when it comes to creativity. That’s when the magic happens! I’ve seen some truly unique pieces, which I’ve never seen before and I’m really happy to part of the jury. It’s great that GJEPC is giving this kind of platform to upcoming artisans.”

Mira further added, “As a jewellery aficionado, I am intrigued to see the kind of jewellery pieces coming out of our country. Artisan Awards is the first step to creating a design sense or a design house or the one star jewellery designer that could be recognized from India, celebrating Indian craftsmanship and the story that we have to tell as India on the canvas of jewellery.”

In his comments following the judging of the finished jewellery pieces, Nikhil Mehra said, “I think fashion and jewellery go really well together. In fact, post the making of our collections, there’s always a conversation on what kind of jewellery will go with the product. So, there’s a lot of synergy between the two streams. A lot of times, we also get inspired by jewellery. We have been hugely inspired by men’s jewellery and we started making brooches and buttons in 2015 and militarised them to glorify India through these accessories. We may want to extend the journey in the future, and go into the precious jewellery space with matte gold. There is a huge opportunity in the men’s jewellery segment. The Artisan is an important platform of applauding great talent.”

Aparajita Jain noticed that “there was a great depth, a lot of originality” in the submissions. “The theme was difficult, but it’s been a great effort by participants. I am amazed at the transformation of pieces from the sketch to actual jewellery pieces. I think the finishing was brilliant! The Artisan Award initiative is great, because we must ensure that the next generation and the generation after is nurtured.”

Seconding her thoughts, Sajil Shah commented that competitions like The Artisan Awards give a platform for new designers to design and showcase their creations to the world. “What is very, very important is how they’re going to bring the vision to life.”

Pernia Qureshi was of the view that it was important to encourage young jewellery designers. “The abstractionism segment was very colourful, it was fun. Most of the pieces were well finished and wearable. Artisans play a big role in translating ideas into actual pieces, and they are as important as the designer, if not more, as they bring each design to life.”

Sriram Natarajan, Managing Director, GIA India noted, “GIA India is pleased to support Artisan Awards – a platform created by the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) to unearth hidden talent and to unleash the potential of discovered talent. It’s interesting that the participation was in the form of 600 entries from 26 cities across four countries – a marker of the ever-increasing outreach of GJEPC for including the rapidly expanding Indian gem and jewellery industry’s members into all its initiatives.”

Priyanka Khanna noted that it was interesting to see the different interpretations young designers came up with – how they brought in the idea of indiamoderne and incorporated the themes of abstract, sculpture, print in a way that could be beautiful for the wearer of the jewellery. “It’s incredibly exciting – the explosion of creativity we’re seeing in India today. Competitions like The Artisan can propel us into a new era of creativity.”

Here are the Winners & finalists of The Artisan Awards 2023:

ART OF ABSTRACTION

Winner – Art of Abstraction

Mahima Kothari

Manufactured by KP Sanghvi Jewels Pvt. Ltd.

The white gold midi ring is a modern interpretation of Piet Mondrian’s abstract painting. The design features rectangles and squares dotted with rubies, blue and yellow sapphires, all arranged in a pattern that is reminiscent of the artist’s signature style. The ring is further embellished with diamonds and enamel to highlight its structure and add a touch of refinement.

First Runner-up – Art of Abstraction

Tuhin Ghosh

(Student, IIGJ Mumbai)

Manufactured by Laxmi Dia Jewel Pvt. Ltd.

The exquisite earrings are designed with overlapping diamond-studded discs of varying sizes. The discs are adorned with unexpected combinations of vibrant enamelled motifs, to evoke the spirit of Robert Delaunay’s famous painting.

Second Runner-up – Art of Abstraction

Gopal Pramanik

Manufactured by Romil Jewelry

The captivating earrings are designed with wing-shaped silhouettes that feature a delightful cluster of small, conical motifs accented with sparkling diamonds and complemented with vivid enamelling. The contemporary silhouettes draw inspiration from the iconic artwork of Mondrian.

Finalists – Art of Abstraction

ART OF SCULPTURE

Winner  – Art of Sculpture

Arunava Chakraborty

Manufactured by Titan Company Limited

The overlapping, textured layers of the gold wreath cuff are topped with a bunch of twisted molten leaves held with a bow.

First Runner-up – Art of Sculpture

Priya Das

Manufactured by KP Sanghvi Jewels Pvt. Ltd.

Although the starting point of these textured gold ear cuffs is the sculpture of a Winged Ox (14th-15th century), the ear ornaments titled The Wings of Courage take on a different story arc. Referencing the epic Ramayana, the earrings eulogise the valour of Jatayu, who fought fearlessly to save Goddess Sita from being abducted by Ravana, but died a martyr. The earrings capture the essence of this story, creating a unique and powerful piece of jewellery.

Second Runner-up – Art of Sculpture

Shruti Agrawal

(Student, IIG)

Manufactured by Laxmi Diamonds, Bengaluru

The stylised, openwork earrings crafted in gold bear a resemblance to the myrtle wreath. The beauty of the organic earrings is enhanced by the curvaceous and flared gold leaves.

Finalists – Art of Sculpture

ART OF PRINT

Winner – Art of Print
Bhautik Sakadasariya
Manufactured by EON Jewellery

The gold earrings are designed with a backdrop of the abstracted version of the Tiger Lily print by Lindsay Phillip Butterfield. Framed with diamonds, the pendant earrings focus on diamond-studded elephants.

First Runner-up – Art of Print

Jatin Kohli
Manufactured by Laxmi Dia Jewel Pvt. Ltd.

The triangular earrings in gold are beautified with turquoise, black onyx, diamonds, rock crystal and baguettes. The Ikat print is the core of this design and the partial rock crystal borders lined with baguettes make the earrings even more stunning.

Second Runner-up – Art of Print

Suryadeb Ghosh
Manufactured by Gehna Jewellers Pvt. Ltd.

The sophisticated, three-layered 18-karat rose gold and diamond trellised earrings
bear intricate floral cut-outs inspired by William Morris’s artwork Rose. The
shoulder dusters are beautified with diamond-studded roses.

Finalists – Art of Print

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At Frieze New York, which ran from 17 to 21 May, fashion and beauty brands were out in full force. Some, including Prada, ready-to-wear label RTA and skincare brand Dr Barbara Sturm, partnered directly with Frieze; others took advantage of the circus being in town to host unofficial events. There were pop-ups, collaborations, talks and product launches, as brands navigated different ways to capture the attention — and spend — of wealthy art lovers.

Representative image”>

Storytelling has been a timeless tradition, changing and adapting with each era and culture to serve the common goal of educating, entertaining, and inspiring audiences. With the dawn of the digital age, storytelling has undergone a transformation, with brands needing to adapt to new-age content formats, such as short videos, interactive media, and podcasts, to remain relevant and engaging with consumers.

Thus, for brands to truly succeed in today’s digital landscape, they must go beyond simply creating content and instead focus on crafting meaningful experiences for their target audience. This requires a thorough understanding of each platform’s unique characteristics and utilising digital tools to gather valuable insights. These may also be used to tailor messaging and establish a more personal connection with customers. In this mix of tools, one that stands most relevant today is Artificial Intelligence, a tool that has revolutionised the art of narrative seeding and reputation management.

While the adoption of AI has been gradual in the communications industry, it is now playing an increasingly important role in helping brands navigate this dynamic landscape. This is by using data-driven campaigns, automating operational tasks, analysing online interactions, and even producing personalised content. AI is enabling PR professionals to be more effective, efficient, and strategic than ever before.

With AI-powered PR, brands can leverage technology to create engaging and personalised content that resonates with their audience. AI-powered sentiment analysis enables brands to swiftly detect negative conversations empowering them to take prompt mitigating measures. Predictive analytics can anticipate potential crises, enabling brands to prepare a response beforehand. Furthermore, personalised content has emerged as a game changer, enabling brands to craft highly targeted and engaging content tailored to their audience’s needs and interests. A great example of using AI as a tool for storytelling is Google’s Year in Search roundup, as it humanises the brand by featuring real people’s desires, curiosities, and fears. The 2021 roundup highlighted wildfires and flooding as the top global search topics in the environmental section, demonstrating how with the use of AI even tech brands can foster excellent storytelling and generate more meaningful relationships with their audience.

Although the potential of AI is enormous, discussions of digital transformation raise two key issues, one of misinformation and the second of obsolescence.

One of the key risks of AI-powered PR is the speed and scale at which false information can spread. As AI algorithms learn and adapt based on past data, they may perpetuate existing biases and inaccuracies, leading to the dissemination of false or misleading information. This can damage the trust and credibility of the brand and can lead to financial loss, or even legal action. The second issue is whether AI will ever replace PR professionals. By looking beyond our industry, we can observe that other sectors are exploring the potential of generative AI. The legal profession is cautiously optimistic about utilising AI for creating frameworks and documents.

However, some in the banking sector have already prohibited it, citing security and compliance issues. In PR, AI can facilitate research and automate reporting, making our work more efficient and eliminating some of the time-consuming aspects of our jobs.

However, it’s essential to recognise that AI cannot replace the significance of human relationships. While AI can provide great benefits in terms of driving efficiency and showcasing the value of PR work, it’s essential to recognise that the core of PR is built on human relationships, counsel, and insight. Our industry should view AI as an enabler that allows us to focus on strategic and creative work by eliminating repetitive and mundane tasks.

Nevertheless, we must not disregard the emotional nuances and subtleties that come with human interaction and that we, as PR professionals, can bring to our clients. Ultimately, striking a balance between AI and human relationships will be critical for PR success.

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One of San Ramon’s oldest traditions is returning to Central Park this year, which is set to be awash with high-flying and brightly colored art and kites in a well-known marker of Memorial Day weekend in the Tri-Valley.

The Art and Wind Festival is making its annual return with four stages featuring an array of live performances, two food courts and carnival rides, in addition to signature activities such as free kite-making for children and 150 arts-and-crafts vendors.

While there are a range of options for on-the-ground entertainment on tap, participants also flock to the popular event for a glimpse at sky-born spectacles in the form of kites.

“One of the most exciting elements of the Art and Wind Festival is the professional, choreographed kite flying,” said Amalia Kulczyck, recreation marketing coordinator for the city of San Ramon. “These world-class kite flyers come from throughout the Western U.S. and put on demonstrations throughout the entire festival.”

The unique twist on spring and summer celebrations has made the Art and Wind Festival an increasingly beloved crowd-pleaser for participants across the Tri-Valley as well as the greater Bay Area.

“The things people come back for every year are definitely the professional kite flying, the kids’ kite making, and that’s always really fun because the winds always seem to be so high in the park,” Kulczyck said.

The event first took shape decades ago in 1989, in the form of a small street fair showcasing visual arts just six years after San Ramon’s incorporation, drawing artists and revelers to the growing city ever since.

“It was such a popular event that it became a full festival filling most of San Ramon’s 40-acre Central Park,” Kulczyck said.

In addition to kites, art, food and entertainment, highlights of this year’s festival include hot air balloon launches both days of the event and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter landing that Sunday (May 28) at 2 p.m.

As the festival has solidified itself as a San Ramon tradition in the decades since its inception, the city’s Arts Advisory Committee now commissions an art piece to represent each year’s event, with Bay Area artist Malti B. Lee selected to create the piece representing this year’s event that is currently on display in City Hall.

In addition to being based in the Bay Area, Lee’s overall focus on the comparison, contrast and complementary aspects of flowers with cityscapes makes her a natural fit for San Ramon in the late spring as the city’s urban landscape continues to take shape.

“Having lived exclusively in large metropolitan cities, pockets of vibrant flowers were always found against the backdrop of buildings,” Lee said in her artist’s statement. “The same way that noticing the fusion and contrasts of urban environments brought me moments of joy, calmness and reflection, my hope is that I can help others feel the same.”

A range of Lee’s work is on display in a solo exhibition that debuted on May 2 coming to its end at the end of the holiday weekend on May 30 at the Lindsay Dirkx Brown Art Gallery in the San Ramon Community Center, with the artist making an on-site appearance at the gallery from 12-4 p.m. on May 29.

“Each painting is inspired by somewhere I’ve been first-hand, there’s a story behind each one,” Lee said.

Another major attraction of the festival is its Memorial Day program honoring lost service members and veterans on May 29. In addition to the hour-long ceremony, the day will see the “Commemorative Field of Flags” from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. allowing those with loved ones lost during or after military service to have a flag placed and displayed throughout the morning and early afternoon in their honor.

The festival’s main events are set to run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday (May 28) and Monday (May 29). More information, including a schedule of performances and activities, is available at www.sanramon.ca.gov.