Crowd at LA Theater for Gen Art Show in March, 2009

As big fans of Gen Art, the organization that launched Fresh Faces and various showcases for emerging designers in fashion and art, including alumni such as Zac Posen, Rebecca Taylor, filmmakers such as Kevin Bacon and Fisher Stevens, artists such as Ryan McGuiness, and musicians MGMT, we were worried for the beleaguered company when at they ultimately had to host their own fundraiser to keep the doors open. Gen Art is one of the few organizations that works as a platform to bring other artists, designers, and even musicians into the forefront, but they were heavily dependent on corporate sponsors to make their events happen.

With the recession, Gen Art was among many organizations, especially those with a philanthropic bent to suffer greatly. However now, with their announcement last week that they will be merging with Rock Media, an entertainment production company, it looks like a positive merger for both parties.

First, the merger will change the company name to RMGA as the umbrella, with Gen Art and Rock Media events; Rock Media will provide $500,000 in financing to cover Gen Art’s short term liabilities for 2009, and the merger will results in making sure that the 15th Anniversary of the Gen Art Film Festival will take place April 7-13 in NYC. In addition, Gen Art expects to return to the Sundance Film Festival with programming such as “7 Fresh Faces in Film” presented by 7 for All Mankind and the Kenneth Cole Black party which celebrates “Champions of Independent Film.”

The two companies will kick-off their inaugural joint event as RMGA with Gen Art’s 15th Anniversary Fresh Faces in Fashion show on September 15th as the grand finale of the Style360 shows (September 12%u201315) presented by HFM Media. The companies have also confirmed that Gen Art will be moving its Los Angeles Fresh Faces in Fashion show to be the centerpiece of Rock Fashion Week L.A. to take place on Thursday, October 29, during the 4 day program at Paramount Studios in Hollywood (October 28-31) and they will be producing a celebration of Miami emerging designers at Rock Fashion Week Miami, slated for October 14-18.

“We are thrilled about combining of our two remarkable companies,” said Scott Rosenblum, CEO and co-founder of Rock Media. “Both bring wonderful management teams and skill sets; Gen Art’s creativity, stable of events and consumer base combined with Rock media’s multi-media branding platforms and financial resources will create a dynamic, recognized entertainment, production and media company with over 100 film, fashion, music, and art events, unprecedented media reach for our brands to extend their message to their consumers and the most creative pipe line of properties under development in our industry.”

According to Ian Gerard, CEO and co-founder of Gen Art, “This is an amazing opportunity to create a more powerful platform for the brands and talent we work with. This merger will advance our joint strategy to create branded Entertainment and Intellectual Property for clients that advance the careers of talent and bring branded content to millions of subscribers across multiple touch points.”

To check out more stories on Label Networks from various Gen Art events, do a keyword search “GenArt.”