Bridgestone is again sponsoring the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology’s (DIO) EyesOn Design Automotive Design Show to be held Sunday, June 21 on the grounds of the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, Mich.

The fundraising event benefits the DIO in assisting and educating the blind and visually impaired. The design show is recognized as one of the largest and most complete vehicle displays assembled each year, attracting automotive designers, automotive decision makers and consumers from around the world.

This year’s theme is “The Art of Automobile Advertising & Design,” which involves pairing historic vehicles with 24-inch by 36-inch photocopied advertisements from the era of each vehicle’s commercial introduction.

Also, the work of legendary painter Art Fitzpatrick, whose portraits of cars painted from the 1950s through the 1970s are still considered collectibles today, will be displayed. Now age 90, Fitzpatrick has contributed an original work to create this year’s EyesOn Design-themed poster.

Willie G. Davidson, senior vice president and chief styling officer at Harley-Davidson, has been chosen to receive this year’s EyesOn DesignAward presented by the DIO.

The winner is selected by the industry’s top designers and previous honorees.

Known by the moniker of “Willie G.,” he is the grandson of one of the original founders of Harley-Davidson. He attended the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, where he was a classmate of Jack Telnack, the father of the Ford Taurus.

Willie G. joined Harley-Davidson in 1963, and his creations include the design of several of the company’s most admired motorcycles. His artistic vision and passion for riding have made him a legend among throngs of enthusiasts worldwide who consider him the patriarch of motorcycling, according to show organizers.

He will accept the award with his wife Nancy during a weekend of activities coinciding with Sunday’s vehicle display.

Established as the Eyes on the Classics car show 22 years ago, the annual exhibit typically has showcased more than 200 vehicles, including Indy 500 speedsters, stock cars, Formula One racers and hot rods.

“That we’re able to enjoy the striking lines and elegant contours of the world’s finest automobiles is a privilege we take for granted,” says Michael Martini, president of the original equipment U.S. and Canadian consumer tire sales division at Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. “The DIO is a remarkable organization that makes a difference in so many lives. We are proud champions of their cause.”

Martini explains that 2009 marks the eighth consecutive year that Bridgestone has sponsored the EyesOn Design fundraiser; it is the second year of a five-year commitment during which the company will continue its support for and presence at the annual Automotive Design Show.

Five honors – collectively called “The Bridgestone Awards” – will be presented at this year’s event. Crafted by distinguished American crystal designer Steven V. Correia, the trophies are crystal sculptures that capture the precision, clarity and reflectivity of the relationship between automotive design and the gift of sight. Judging is accomplished by automotive designers and/or teams of active and retired designers from leading automotive and supplier companies.

Individually, the awards are:

• The Bridgestone Best in Show Award – Best example of design from among the more than 200 outstanding and diverse vehicles exhibited in the categories of design competition.

• The Bridgestone Honorary Chairman’s Award – Presented by the Honorary Chair to the vehicle he/she chooses as the most outstanding in the show

• The Bridgestone Visionaries Award – “Seeing” the vehicles with their hands, a team of visually-impaired or blind judges will select a vehicle based on their “hands-on” perception of the most interesting sculptural shape from among vehicles in a specifically designated category.

• The Bridgestone Preserving the Vision Award – Presented to a museum, business or an individual collector who by acquiring, restoring and preserving vehicles is conserving for future generations significant examples of classic automotive design.

• The Bridgestone Eye of the Artist Award – Awarded to one of the participating artists during the event.

Bridgestone signage will also be prominently displayed at this year’s benefit and special company-branded lanyards will be worn by VIPs, volunteers and DIO staff members.

One of the major uses of the money raised by the EyesOn Design events is the sponsorship of the DIO’s internationally renowned research initiatives, the Eye and The Auto World Congress and the Eye and the Chip World Congress.

The relationship between driving and vision is tremendously complex: Recognizing this, the DIO will host the Eye and the Auto World Congress Sept. 16-18 at the Research Administration Building of the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Mich. It will address the relationship between vision and the safe vehicle operation.

Of the more than 1 million deaths that happen on the nation’s roads each year, most are somehow related to visual factors. Researchers from corporations, laboratories, governmental agencies and academic departments will meet for three days to discuss the barriers remaining in understanding what these visual challenges are. Keynote speakers will be Dr. Larry Burns, vice president of research & development and planning at General Motors, and Dr. Michael Merzenich, co-founder and chief scientific officer at Posit Science Corp. in San Francisco. Dozens of presentations and discussions, including increased lighting technology, electronic systems to correct lane departure dangers and adaptive cruise control systems will take place.

The next Eye and the Chip World Congress will be held in 2010.

For more information, visit www.eyesondesigncarshow.com and www.bridgestone-firestone.com.