Press Releases

Carmel, Calif. - August 30, 2006 - Prominent central coast artists, Robert Lewis and Janet Allinger, have each fashioned tomato-inspired art for the 2006 Gary Ibsen's Carmel TomatoFest®. The unique art-turned posters will be available for purchase at the TomatoFest "Airheads" booth, at the Country Store Tent, and at the Seed Sales Tent. The posters are currently available online at www.tomatofest.com.

Pacific Grove artist Robert Lewis is no rookie to Gary Ibsen's Carmel TomatoFest® Art Show. He is the winner of the 2005 "Sirens of The Garden - The Tomato As Art" show Founder's Award. This year's featured creation entitled "Heirloom Jewels of Summer" celebrates the simplicity of summer dining at its best. The poster is a 13"x19" print of his original oil on canvas piece. An 18"x24" limited edition version signed by Lewis and printed on archival water color paper is also available.

Santa Cruz-based pop artist Janet Allinger contributes her comic art-inspired piece entitled "Heirlooms" to this year's festival. The 13"x19" poster encapsulates the sure-to-be infamous quote, "If I had only shown him my heirlooms." An 18"x24" limited edition on archival water color paper, signed by Allinger, is also available.

The 15th Annual Carmel TomatoFest will take place at the beautiful Quail Lodge Resort on Sunday, September 10, 2006 from 12:30 - 4:30 p.m. Accompanying the festival is the 2nd annual TomatoFest Celebrity Chef Golf Classic, which will take place at Quail Lodge on Friday September 8, 2006.

Sunset magazine, a primary sponsor of Gary Ibsen's Carmel TomatoFest®, will feature a pavilion for culinary and gardening displays, as well as demonstrations. Whole Foods Market Monterey, another dedicated sponsor, will feature culinary tastings and activities for children at their pavilion, and a Country Store will showcase selected specialty products from Maine to California.

Tickets may be purchased through the website at www.tomatofest.com or by calling 1-800-965-4827.

Net proceeds are donated to local youth charities. The Carmel TomatoFest and Celebrity Chef Golf Classic are sellout events every year, so interested persons are encouraged to buy their tickets or register early.

Gary Ibsen is an advocate of certified organic, sustainable farming, and seed saving. He has grown heirloom tomatoes for more than 30 years and is currently growing more than 500 heirloom tomato varieties from seeds he has personally harvested. These seeds were originally sourced from family farms around the world. Tomato growers from central California will also contribute to the selection of tomatoes showcased at the TomatoFest.