• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, June 17, 2008

The liquor brand, which currently supports the arts through various programs in Los Angeles, Miami, New York and San Francisco, is planning to extend into more cities in 2009, although plans are still in the initial stages, reports brand manager Lynn Lackey.

Meanwhile, this year, Campari has continued and enhanced its multi-pronged arts program.

Its "House of Campari" annual group exhibition of up-and-coming artists is open in New York's Soho through June. Themed "Defining a Moment: 25 New York Artists," the exhibition features a variety of events co-hosted by cultural and media partners, including burlesque and musical performances from New York artists.

During the run of House of Campari, a new work by the 2008 beneficiary of the Campari Commissions Initiative, Mickalene Thomas, is also on view. Starting last year, Campari now annually awards a commissioning grant to one artist featured in the previous year's group exhibition to support significant works of art. The works are then donated to a museum. Thus far, one work has been donated to the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, and another to the Brooklyn Museum.

House of Campari has also partnered with four visual arts organizations to develop customized arts experiences for various communities. Exhibitions are being underwritten for Artists Space in New York and LAXART in Los Angeles; a series of Campari Talks are held at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco; and lounge events are being sponsored at exhibition openings at The Moore Space in Miami.