P.O. Box 284

Marylhurst, OR

97036-0284

888.596.4004

fax 503.670.9877

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe Galliani - (310) 373-7892
joe@theparksco.com

Great Art From The Past To The Rescue For Today's National Parks

Monday, November 29, 1999

TIGARD, OR -- 127 years ago the watercolors of Thomas Moran helped convince Congress to name Yellowstone the world's first National Park. Today the world's first national park catalog is using Moran's art to raise funding and attention for America's cash-strapped scenic crown jewels.

Moran's watercolors are part of the largest collection of national park art ever assembled, available in The Parks Company National Park Catalog. The catalog, available on-line at www.theparksco.com, features 122 different art images of the national parks including the Arts For The Parks Collection, The Ed Mell Grand Canyon Series, the Golden Gate National Park Collection, the WPA collection of hand-made silk-screen posters from the 1930s and reproductions of those historic Thomas Moran watercolors of Yellowstone.

The Parks Company was founded by partners Joe Galliani and Mike Baggetta in response to the $9 billion budget gap crisis in America's National Parks. The Parks Company donates 5% of its gross sales profits to fund repair and improvement projects at individual national parks like Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Sequoia and Rocky Mountain. In less than three years of operation The Parks Company has raised and donated over $20,000 to America's National Parks.

"We've filled our catalog with art that brings the spirit and the beauty of the national parks home the way only great artists can," declares Joe Galliani, Founding Partner of The Parks Company. "We've spent years traveling from park to park to find the treasures you'll discover in our catalog. We're using the passion these great works inspire as the fuel in our fight to save the National Parks."

The Parks Company National Park Catalog also features artwork in the form of limited edition hand-painted sculptures of historic national park lodges, over 80 different hand-painted hiking medallions, hand forged ram's head fireplace tool sets from Timberline Lodge, and limited edition framed vintage color-tone national park post cards from the 1930s and 40s.

"Our standard is 'Only The Best For Our National Parks'" adds Art Director and Founding Partner, Mike Baggetta, "Every product we carry meets that standard in terms of quality, but also from an aesthetic viewpoint too. We've chosen some of the most beautiful, classic American art artwork ever created. We're proud to be showcasing most of it for the first time anywhere."

Holiday sales for The Parks Company are already running 50% higher than 1998. Good news for the national parks which will see an increase of 50% in donations from the National Park Catalog. With the parks in such historic need of funding, the art of giving has never been more appreciated.