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3M Automotive to Sponsor 'Eve of the Eyes' Fundraising Event

22 May 2000

Event June 16th Hosted at 3M's Automotive Innovation Center in Livonia

    DETROIT - The thirteenth annual Eyes on Design benefit for The Detroit 
Institute of Ophthalmology kicks off Friday, June 16 at 6 p.m. at 3M Automotive's 
new headquarters in Livonia with Eve of the Eyes, a reception for past, 
present and future automotive designers and the general public.
   
    Attendees at the informal gathering will encounter a first-class
collection of vintage and concept vehicles that spell design with a capital
"D."  Among the vintage cars displayed will be the Pontiac Firebird with its
world-famous phoenix (aka "screaming chicken") hood graphic produced by
3M Automotive in the 1970s and '80s.  Concepts by General Motors,
DaimlerChrysler and Ford Motor Company will include automotive and truck
designs that push the design envelope in new and exciting directions.

    The Eve of the Eyes festivities will include formal recognition of Bill
Robinson, professor of Product Design and Transportation Design at the Center
for Creative Studies in Detroit, as Honored Educator of the Year.  With over
50 years of leadership in automotive design and education, Robinson has a
heritage of creativity and mentorship worthy of acclaim.

    Another draw for the design audience is a planned exhibition of student
artwork from top design schools, including CCS, Cleveland Institute of Art,
Academy of Art College, San Francisco and Art Center, Pasadena.  Additional
original artwork by top painters and illustrators will be displayed as part of
an on-line auction for the benefit of Eyes on Design.

    Attendees at Eve of the Eyes will also enjoy a unique opportunity to view
a portion of the more than 1,000 innovative solutions produced by 3M
Automotive to serve its automotive OEM and supplier customers worldwide.  The
60,000 square-foot Automotive Innovation Center, opened in 1999, is an
affirmation of 3M Automotive's commitment to provide customers with a
portfolio of solutions to answer their automotive design, engineering,
manufacturing, service and repair challenges.

    Eve of the Eyes admission is $25 per person, $15 for students by
reservation.  For more information, call: 313-824-3937, or fax,
313-822-4233.

    Eyes on Design is a three-day celebration of automotive design.  The
fundraising festivities are the primary source of revenues for the Detroit
Institute of Ophthalmology, a non-profit organization, for research, education
and support group programs that enhance the independence of the visually
impaired.  For more information on Eyes on Design, contact Michael Smith,
DIO Marketing Manager: 313-961-3131.