For immediate release: February 13, 2009

Tulip Festival welcomes President Obama with unique gift

OTTAWA – The Canadian Tulip Festival will display a five-foot tulip next week at the Rideau Centre in honour of President Barack Obama's State Visit to Canada 's capital.

The Canadian Tulip Festival is reaching out to our neighbours to the south in an act of goodwill by presenting this tulip, after next week's display, to the American people during President Obama's historic first visit. The tulip will depict President Obama's campaign messages of hope and change. The president's facial profile, along with other U.S. national symbols, will be painted on this large, colourful structure. The Obama tulip is the work of local artist Jill Alexander.

There will be an opportunity for members of the media to view the tulip and speak to Festival representatives Tuesday, February 17 at noon on the third floor of the Rideau Centre near the Grand and Toy store.

In Canada , the tulip is a symbol of international friendship that dates back to the Second World War when the Dutch community gave Ottawa a gift of tulip bulbs in appreciation of the safe haven that was extended to the Dutch Royal family. Today, that gift has grown into the largest tulip festival in the world with more than three million tulips blooming throughout Canada 's Capital Region each spring. One of Canada 's premier tourism events, the spectacle attracts more than 500,000 domestic and international visitors annually. The Festival runs this year from May 1-18. For more information, please visit the Festival Web site at www.tulipfestival.ca .

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Jill Alexander is an Ottawa-based visual artist and illustrator. Her work is very diverse in subject matter, and has been described as having a unique style which is vibrant and joyful.

During the Festival, Jill can be seen painting as an official tulip artist amidst the sea of dazzling tulips in Commissioners Park . This is the fourth five-foot tulip she has painted for the Festival. For more information, visit www.jillalexander.ca .

MEDIA CONTACT

Ms. Wendo Blondeau

(613) 567-5757, ext 226 (office)

(613) 798-0984 (home)

sponsorship@tulipfestival.ca

www.tulipfestival.ca