Bank of America Merrill Lynch Art Conservation Project 2013 Gives New Life to Historic Artworks at Four National Cultural Institutions Across Asia

Global Program Connects People and Communities to Culture and History through the Conservation of 24 Projects in 16 Countries

HONG KONG, July 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch has announced that it will provide funding, though its global Art Conservation Project( http://museums.bankofamerica.com/arts/Conservation ), to conserve artworks of significant historic and cultural value at four national cultural institutions across Asia, including Australia, Japan and China. These artworks are part of a total of 24 projects in 16 countries around the world that have been selected for grant funding in 2013.

The beneficiaries of the 2013 grants include:

-- Rare ceramics from Qinglongzhen near Shanghai, dating

from the Tang (618 - 907 AD) and Song (960 - 1279 AD)

dynasties, at the Shanghai Museum

( http://www.shanghaimuseum.net/en )

-- 14 stone sculptures at the Beijing Stone Carving Art

Museum, dating from the second to the nineteenth

century, including a grave guardian and a stone

doorframe with a relief of a child playing with

lotuses

-- The North Wind, an iconic Impressionist work by

Frederick McCubbin (1855 - 1917 AD), at the National

Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne

( http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au )

These projects were selected to receive Bank of America Merrill Lynch grants due to their artistic significance, cultural value and demonstrable need for restoration. The funding will be used to help the institutions restore these priceless artworks so that they can be preserved for future generations.

"As art conservation consumes ever greater portions of tightened museum budgets, the need for private arts funding has become even more critical," said Matthew Koder, President, Asia Pacific, Bank of America Merrill Lynch. "We are honored to help preserve works of art that are culturally and historically significant to these countries as part of our longstanding partnership in Asia, where we have done business for more than 60 years."

Including this year's recipients, the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Art Conservation Project will have funded the conservation of more than 57 projects in 25 countries. The program was introduced in 2010 in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and expanded to the Americas, Asia and Australia in 2012. All of these global regions will continue to receive grant funding in 2013.

"Art has a unique ability to connect people and communities and to help economies thrive," said Rena DeSisto, Global Arts and Culture Executive at Bank of America. "The works of art we have selected as part of the 2013 Art Conservation Project can provide a lasting reflection of people and history. As a company with clients in over 100 countries, we are funding the preservation of these important works to contribute to the cultural enrichment and advancement of future generations."

Bank of America Merrill Lynch's support for the arts is diverse and global, and includes loans of our art collection to museums at no cost, sponsorships, grants to arts organizations for arts education, and the preservation of cultural treasures.

2013 grant recipients include:

-- Shike Yisha Bowuguan (Stone Carving Art Museum) in Beijing,

China

-- Shanghai Art Museum in Shanghai, China

-- National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia

-- The Independent Administrative Institution National

Institute for Cultural Heritage -- Tokyo National Museum

in Tokyo, Japan

-- The following projects in the United States of America:

-- Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, PA

-- Detroit Institute of Arts in Detroit, MI

-- Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City, MO

-- Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los Angeles, CA

-- Museum of Modern Art in New York, NY

-- Miami Art Museum in Miami, FL

-- Minneapolis Institute of Art in Minneapolis, MN

-- New Bedford Free Public Library in New Bedford, MA

-- The Montreal Museum of Fine Art in Montreal, Canada

-- Abbey Theatre in Dublin, Ireland

-- National Portrait Gallery in London, United Kingdom

-- New National Gallery in Berlin, Germany

-- Musee d'Orsay in Paris, France

-- Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria

-- National Art Gallery of Brera in Milan, Italy

-- National Gallery in Prague, Czech Republic

-- Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in Istanbul, Turkey

-- La Casa Azul -- Frida Khalo Museum in Mexico City,Mexico

-- Museu de Arte Moderna de Sao Paulo, Brazil

-- Johannesburg Art Gallery in Johannesburg, South Africa

For a full description of the projects and images, please visit http://museums.bankofamerica.com/arts/Conservation

Bank of America Corporate Social Responsibility

Bank of America Merrill Lynch's commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a strategic part of doing business globally. Our CSR efforts guide how we operate in a socially, economically, financially and environmentally responsible way around the world, to deliver for shareholders, customers, clients and employees. Our goal is to help create economically vibrant regions and communities through lending, investing and giving. By partnering with our stakeholders, we create value that empowers individuals and communities to thrive and contributes to the long-term success of our business.

We have several core areas of focus for our CSR, including responsible business practices; environmental sustainability; strengthening local communities with a focus on housing, hunger and jobs; investing in global leadership development; and engaging through arts and culture. As part of these efforts, employee volunteers across the company contribute their time, passion and expertise to address issues in communities where they live and work. Learn more at www.bankofamerica.com/about and follow us on Twitter at @BofA_Community.

For more Bank of America news, visit the Bank of America newsroom( http://mediaroom.bankofamerica.com ).

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SOURCE Bank of America Merrill Lynch