Art & Apples' Title Sponsor Signs on for the Fourth Straight Year

ROCHESTER, Mich., July 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Make art the core of your fall plans!
The 44th Annual Art & Apples Festival announced today that National City, now
part of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. will be the Festival's Title
Sponsor for the fourth straight year. The September 11-13 event will showcase
nationally renowned fine art, a variety of food, and non-stop entertainment
and activities for all ages.

"We are proud to return as the title sponsor of the Art & Apples Festival,"
said David Boyle, president for National City in Michigan. "It's a privilege
to be part of a tradition that features an organization that continually works
so hard for the growth and preservation of the community and appreciation of
the arts."

Festival organizers are pulling out all of the stops to make this year's event
the best ever with the latest in art and innovative crafts and even more
family-friendly activities. Last year an estimated 125,000 visitors attended
the Festival which is a program of Paint Creek Center for the Arts (PCCA).

The Festival is Michigan's second largest juried fine arts fair and has been
regularly voted among the TOP 30 of Sunshine Artist magazine's "200 Best
Festivals" in the nation. Over 260 exhibitors participate in the show each
year. The talent and range of artists' mediums at the festival includes
textiles, watercolor, woodworking, glassblowing, pottery, jewelry and more.

"The State of Michigan has been hit hard by the declining economy, however,
cultural tourism offers significant opportunities for local economic
development," said Suzanne Wiggins, executive director of Paint Creek Center
for the Arts. "National City's ongoing commitment enables us to look forward
to the future and helps showcase PCCA's extraordinary programs. It's
incredible to work with a corporate partner that recognizes the importance of
art and culture and its economic impact on the regional community."

Paint Creek Center for the Arts is a regional non-profit art center located in
downtown Rochester. PCCA enhances life in the region by promoting,
encouraging, and creating opportunities to participate in and appreciate the
arts.

Interested sponsors and volunteers can contact Paint Creek Center for the Arts
at (248) 651-4110. For additional information about the National City Art &
Apples Festival, please visit www.ArtandApples.com.

SOURCE Paint Creek Center for the Arts

Anne Cable of Liebler Group, +1-313-832-4382, anne@lieblergroup.com, for Paint
Creek Center for the Arts