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"Beyond Blond" Swedish Lifestyle Month Kicks Off March 14 at the Pacific Design Center

Events Include Motion Picture Academy Tribute to Greta Garbo, Latest in Swedish Design, Futuristic Volvo Car Designs and Sweden's Hottest New Rock Bands

Beyond Blond - Swedish Lifestyle Month 2005 (March 15-April 15) will kick off on March 14 at a preview opening party at the Pacific Design Center co-hosted by Volvo Cars of North America, the Official Corporate Sponsor, and the Consulate General of Sweden. The month-long program will celebrate "Swedish Design Year," the centenary anniversary of Swedish film icon, Greta Garbo and other lifestyle elements, including Film, Music, Literature, Food, Sports and Fitness, Tourism and Trade. Major Events include "Designed in Sweden" an exhibition featuring art, glass, furnishings, textiles and industrial design recently shown at the Museum of London, new Volvo Car Designs, a tribute to Greta Garbo at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and Sweden's Hottest New Rock Bands. Many Beyond Blond 2005 events will be open to the public. www.calsweden.org.)">

"Sweden is focused on the economic importance and impact of design globally in business and industry," says Tomas Rosander, Consul General of Sweden. "The generous support of our sponsors and partnering organizations has made it possible to present to western U.S. markets Sweden today: A nation delivering innovative design, creativity, environmental systems, scientific breakthroughs, communication technologies and business prowess that are having an impact worldwide on contemporary lifestyle and quality of life."

Beyond Blond 2005 Highlights:

--  "Designed in Sweden," an exhibition first presented last fall at the
    Museum of London, will be up for the entire month (March 15-April 15) at
    the Beyond Blond pavilion (B203) at the Pacific Design Center. Numerous
    artists are represented with an extraordinary collection of glass, art,
    furnishings, metalware and textiles. The exhibition is open to the public
    Tuesdays through Fridays 10 AM to 6 PM and on most weekends 12 noon to 4 PM
    from March 15-April 15.  (Closed March 25-28 for Easter).

--  An installation of futuristic automotive and industrial design created
    by Volvo Cars of North America, the major corporate Sponsor of Beyond Blond
    2005, will also be featured over the four-week period.

--  Beyond Blond will feature two design seminars on March 30 with Swedish
    participation during Westweek at the Pacific Design Center. Another seminar
    on how design affects economic growth will be presented at the Pacific
    Design Center April 6.

--  On April 7, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will host
    an evening at the Academy celebrating Garbo's life. The UCLA Film and
    Television Archive will follow with a Garbo film retrospective series
    "Garbo:The Divine Woman" (April 8, 9, 10 and 13)

--  The Los Angeles County Museum of Art on April 8 will feature an Ingmar
    Bergman film retrospective, "Through A Lens Darkly: the Classic Films of
    Ingmar Bergman". (Screenings through April 23 at the Bing Theater, LACMA)

--  A screening of a new Swedish film and Volvo's Beyond Blond Closing
    Soiree:" Sweden for Life" will be held on April 14 at Pacific Design
    Center's Silver Screen Theater

--  On March 16, Export Music Sweden will bring Sweden's' hottest new
    bands to perform at the Troubadour in West Hollywood.

--  On March 17, "Swedish Functional Food for a Healthy Lifestyle" will be
    presented at the Nutracon Conference in Anaheim.

--  On March 17, A lecture: "Swedish Furnishings and Architecture: An
    Historical perspective for Today's Interiors" will be presented at Leif in
    West Hollywood by Swedish designers and historians, Lars and Ursula Sjöberg

--  On April 11, PEN USA will co-host a Literature Seminar featuring best-
    selling Swedish crime novelist, Liza Marklund and local authors Kate Gale
    and Deena Metzger.

--  Swedish fitness will be presented in a Nordic Walking series at Santa
    Monica Beach (March 19, 26 April 2, 9).

--  Invest in Sweden Agency and the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce
    will present events on Swedish innovation, technology and doing business in
    Sweden (March 21 and April 12).
    

BEYOND BLOND 2  15 March - 15 April 2005

MARCH

14     Preview Opening Party *                Pacific Design Center (B203)

15     Designed in Sweden /Beyond
        Blond Opens to the Public             Pacific Design Center (B203)

16     Up the Amp Volvo Welcoming Party
        for Export Music Sweden               Troubadour, West Hollywood

16     Sweden Rocks! Four Hot New Bands
        Hit LA                                Troubadour, West Hollywood

16-18  Swedes participate at SoCal Natural
        Food Fair,                            Nutracon, Anaheim

17     Swedish Functional Food Seminar for
        a Healthy Lifestyle                   Nutracon, Anaheim

17     Swedish American chamber of Commerce
        Business Mixer                        Beverly Hills

17     Swedish Furnishings & Architecture
        Lecture with I.C.A                   "Lief," West.Hollywood

19     Fitness the Swedish Way Series:
        Nordic Walking with Malin Svensson    Santa Monica Beach

20     Beyond the Grape Wine Tasting Trip:
        "Here, There and Sideways"            California Central Coast

21     Swedish American Chamber of Commerce
        Annual Corporate Dinner *             Santa Monica

26     Fitness the Swedish Way Series:
        Nordic Walking with Malin Svensson    Santa Monica Beach

30     From Dream to Reality: Seminar on
        New Swedish Design                    Pacific Design Center (B259)

30     Volvo Presents:  Intelligent Travel
        Solutions - Seminar                   Pacific Design Center (B259)

30-31  Beyond Blond at West Week: Swedish
        Designs for the Trade                 Pacific Design Center (B203)

APRIL

2     "Glass Eats Light" Glass Blowing with
        Bertil Vallien*                       Museum of Glass,
                                               Tacoma/Seattle

2      Fitness the Swedish Way Series:
        Nordic Walking with Malin Svensson    Santa Monica Beach

4      Volvo's Gourmet Evening by Conny
        Andersson from Four Seasons *         Santa Monica

6      Seminar:  Designing the Future -
        The Economic Impact of Design         Pacific Design Center (B203)

7      Garbo:  The Divine Woman - Film
        Retrospective Opening Party*          Academy of Motion Picture
                                               Arts & Sciences

8      Garbo: The Divine Woman Film
        Retrospective Screening               James Bridges Theater, UCLA

8     "Through a Lens Darkly:" The classic
        Films of Ingmar Bergman               Los Angeles County Museum
                                               of Art
       The Seventh Seal, The Virgin Spring

9-10   Scandinavian Festival                  California Lutheran
                                               University

9      Beyond Blond: Swedish Roots &
        Heritage Forum                        California Lutheran
                                               University

9      Garbo: The Divine Woman Film
        Retrospective Screening               James Bridges Theater, UCLA

9     "Through a Lens Darkly:" The classic
        Films of Ingmar Bergman               Los Angeles County Museum
                                               of Art
       Smiles of a Summer Night, Secrets
        of Women

9      Fitness the Swedish Way Series:
        Nordic Walking with Malin Svensson    Santa Monica Beach

10     Garbo: The Divine Woman Film
        Retrospective Screening               James Bridges Theater, UCLA

11     PEN USA Literature Seminar with
        Swedish and American authors          Santa Monica

12     Business In Sweden - Investment
        dinner hosted by Invest In
        Sweden Agency                         Santa Monica

13     Garbo: The Divine Woman Film
        Retrospective Screening               James Bridges Theater, UCLA

14     Swedish Feature Film SCREENING &
        Closing Soiree                        Pacific Design Center

15    "Through a Lens Darkly:" The classic
        Films of Ingmar Bergman               Los Angeles County Museum
                                               of Art
       Summer with Monika, Sawdust
        and Tinsel

For detailed information, updates and to register -
please visit www.calsweden.org
*By invitation only, All other events/activities are Open to the Public.

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