NEWS RELEASE
April 11, 2011
ARTSQUEST CENTER IN BETHLEHEM OPENS APRIL 15 AT 4 P.M.
Organization Announces Capital BlueCross as Partner for Main Floor & Healthy Menu Options
BETHLEHEM, PA—Live music, a wide selection of delicious food including healthy eating options, and a magnificent view of the iconic Bethlehem Steel blast furnaces await visitors to the Capital BlueCross Creativity Commons when the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks™, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, opens to the public Friday, April 15 at 4 p.m.
Located on the first floor of the ArtsQuest Center, the Capital BlueCross Creativity Commons will be the gateway to all of the exciting music, art and cinema programming taking place at the ArtsQuest Center. Guests will be able to enjoy a variety of great eats at the Mike & Ike Bistro in the Capital BlueCross Creativity Commons while listening to emerging local artists, as well as enjoy a spectacular view of the blast furnaces thanks to the 16-foot-tall, floor-to ceiling glass windows on the front of the building. The first two acts scheduled to perform on the first floor on April 15 are guitarist Bill Toms at 6 p.m. and singer-songwriter Tim Harakal at 9:30 p.m.
"The ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks is an exciting and unique resource for the Lehigh Valley community," said Bill Lehr, Capital BlueCross Chairman and CEO. "At Capital BlueCross we are firm believers that the arts soothe the mind and strengthen the body, contributing greatly to a person’s overall health. The opportunities here to experience and enjoy the culture are endless, and it all comes with a focus on health. We are very proud to be part of this grand opening and to be associated with the fun and excitement this facility will bring to the region in the years to come."
Starting April 16, the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks will be open 365 days a year, beginning at 10:30 a.m. each day. As part of its dedication to improving and promoting the health and well-being of the community, Capital BlueCross has partnered with the ArtsQuest Center culinary staff to offer a variety of "Heart Healthy Menu Options" for lunch and dinner at the both the Mike and Ike Bistro and Musikfest Café, the latter of which will open on May 1. All Heart Healthy Menu Options will be made with carefully-selected healthy ingredients such as whole grains, fresh fruit and low- and nonfat dairy products, and will come in perfect portion sizes. Heart Healthy Menu Options that will be available include delicious salads with light dressings on the side, fresh and whole fruit, paninis and sandwiches made with whole grain breads, chicken grilled in unsaturated fat and more. The Musikfest Café will also feature a variety of fresh fish dishes, including seasonal specials, prepared with heart and health conscious patrons in mind. Healthy menu items will be easily identifiable on the menus for both the bistro and the café.
At SteelStacks, Capital BlueCross will also be reaching out to the community via its healthy living booth at the SteelStacks Farmers Market, which will be open Tuesdays from 3-7 p.m. starting May 10. Healthy living presentations, cooking demonstrations and educational seminars are among the programming planned for the market; additional details will be announced at a later date.
"Capital BlueCross is dedicated to making the Lehigh Valley a better place to work, live and play by promoting healthy lifestyles and healthy living," said Kassie Hilgert, ArtsQuest Senior Vice President of Marketing and Advancement. "We look forward to partnering with them on all kinds of unique programming both in the Creativity Commons and at the SteelStacks Farmers Market."
ABOUT CAPITAL BLUECROSS
Capital BlueCross is the leading health insurer in its region, providing health insurance coverage to residents in central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley. Capital BlueCross is committed to making health insurance simple for its customers and members through all the stages of life by offering nationally acclaimed customer service and a full range of innovative benefit programs for groups and individuals at competitive prices. By establishing a culture of caring, Capital BlueCross constantly strives to do more in order to deliver more for the men, women and children who depend on the company for their health insurance needs. Capital BlueCross has been providing health security to the people and communities of central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley for more than 70 years and employs about 2,000 people in the region.
Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pa., Capital BlueCross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. More information about Capital BlueCross and its subsidiaries can be found by going to www.capbluecross.com.
ABOUT ARTSQUEST
ArtsQuest™ is a Bethlehem, PA-based nonprofit dedicated to presenting music, arts, festivals, cultural experiences and educational and outreach programs that aid in economic development, urban revitalization and community enrichment. Through festivals such as its flagship event, Musikfest®; the Banana Factory® cultural arts and education center; and the ArtsQuest Center and SteelStacks™ arts and cultural campus, ArtsQuest’s programming reaches more than 1.5 million people annually.
For more information on ArtsQuest, visit www.artsquest.org or call 610-332-1300.
CONTACT:
Joe Butera, Capital BlueCross, 717-541-6139 or joe.butera@capbluecross.com
Mark Demko, ArtsQuest, 610-332-1342 or mdemko@artsquest.org
-30-
