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Mercedes-Benz Financial Services expands its support for art students and graduates of ÃÛÌÒ½´Methodist University (SMU) and Texas Christian University (TCU) with the announcement of the Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Emerging Artist Award. This new honor, as well as $10,000 in additional awards, was announced last night during the company’s eighth annual “Experiencing Perspectives” art exhibition held at corporate offices in Fort Worth.

“Mercedes-Benz Financial Services is so pleased to expand its support of art education in Dallas-Fort Worth with the launch of the Emerging Artist Award. This award is a reflection of our commitment to the arts in our local communities,” Janet Marzett, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Vice President of Operations Americas, said during the reception. “Supporting education and artistic practice is an investment in the creative citizens of the future, who we will rely on to push the boundaries, challenge our thought processes and inspire new ideas. We look forward to announcing our first winner in the spring of 2017.”

The Emerging Artist Award will be presented to one graduating art student or recent alum from the ÃÛÌÒ½´Meadows School of the Arts. The recipient will spend two months living and working abroad as an artist-in-residence in Berlin, Germany, along with Mercedes-Benz Financial Services’ partner, the Küenstlerhaus Bethanien, in the summer of 2017. The trip also includes airfare and lodging, an expense stipend, a personalized networking program, a vehicle and free access to museums in Berlin.

“We are thrilled that Mercedes-Benz Financial Services has again expanded its support for artists working and studying in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with this meaningful award,” said Noah Simblist, Chair of the Division of Art at SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts. “The opportunity for international experience and exposure to the global art community is invaluable for our students, but this investment also demonstrates how important creativity and the arts can be in other sectors.”

In addition to the Emerging Artist Award, a total of $10,000 in financial sponsorships was presented to three graduating student artists from Texas Christian University (TCU) during the reception, as voted on by Mercedes-Benz Financial Services employees. The winners, Natasha Schulz ($5,000), Elizabeth Sage ($2,500) and Hayley Fowler (2,500),are free to use the money at their discretion to continue expanding their artistic promise. Each year Mercedes-Benz Financial Services will alternate the Emerging Artist Award and the financial scholarships between TCU and SMU.

“The support of art education by Mercedes-Benz Financial Services is exceptional,” said Sally Packard, Director of the TCU School of Art. “Their commitment to investing in the arts and the future of our student artists truly makes a difference in our program. We are thankful for their generosity in cash awards and their art exhibitions, both of which support the dreams and aspirations of our students.”

The winners’ art is also among the works on exhibit at the Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Fort Worth facility for a year. Approximately 100 pieces of new art selected from 40 ÃÛÌÒ½´and TCU artists were installed throughout the office in June as part of the 2016-2017 Experiencing Perspectives Art Exhibition. The professionally designed exhibit helps these artists establish themselves by displaying their work and also benefits the company’s employees by inspiring creativity, innovative thinking and diversity of thought in the workplace.

“Art presents an opportunity to engage with the world from a different perspective,” said Marzett. “We believe that supporting the arts is not only beneficial to the company, but to the community as a whole in provoking conversations and building connections.”

The Experiencing Perspectives art program is truly unique in that it connects the experience of art with the dynamics of the workplace to educate and foster creative thinking. It serves four universities located in the United States and Canada, where Mercedes-Benz Financial Services has corporate offices. The company started the program with ÃÛÌÒ½´and TCU at its Fort Worth facility in 2008.

For more information about Mercedes-Benz Financial Services’ Experiencing Perspectives art program and community art partnerships visit , , @MercedesBenzFS #mbfsART

About Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC:

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC, headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan, with Business Center Operations in Fort Worth, Texas, provides brand-specific financial products and services for Mercedes-Benz and smart automotive dealers and their retail customers. In the U.S. trucking industry, it conducts business as Daimler Truck Financial and provides flexible financial products and services for Daimler Trucks North America commercial vehicles branded Freightliner, Western Star, Thomas Built Bus and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, Inc. Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC serves as the headquarters for operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil, and has approximately 1,800 employees throughout the Americas. It is a company of the Daimler Financial Services Group, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, which does business in 40 countries and has an employee base of approximately 8,800 people worldwide. Daimler Financial Services is one of the leading financial services organizations worldwide and was named one of the 25 World’s Best Multinational Workplaces by the Great Place To Work Institute in 2014. Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA was also named one of the 100 Best Workplaces for Millennials in 2015 and 2016, and one of the 100 Best Workplaces for Women in 2016 by Great Place to Work and Fortune.com. For more information, please visit or . For more information about Daimler Truck Financial, log onto .