press room
For Immediate Release
04/16/2005Contact:
Devra Pransky
The Art Institutes
412.995.7685
High School Artists Vie For Top Placement in National Poster Design Competition
(PITTSBURGH) April 13, 2005—Twenty-four high school students from across North America who are interested in graphic design careers have placed first in local competitions in the Poster Design Scholarship Competition, sponsored by The Art Institutes and Americans for the Arts. Students created original poster artwork that expresses the slogan “Art is a Global Language” and wrote designer statements explaining both their poster concepts and why they want to enter the graphic design field.
The final stage of the contest, beginning April 13, is a virtual competition with a panel of industry professionals determining the winners of the tuition scholarships. More than $200,000 in scholarships will be awarded, with the first place prize-winning student receiving a $25,000 scholarship to study design at one of 31 Art Institutes locations throughout North America.
"We’re pleased to be collaborating with Americans for the Arts because we believe, as educators, this is a critical time to support and strengthen the universal role that the arts play in our lives and in the world,” says Michael Maki, vice president of academic affairs for Education Management Corporation, The Art Institutes' parent company.
According to Robert L. Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts, “As funding for arts programs across the country continues to face budget cuts, we want young people to remember that art is a valuable communication tool, helping us to transcend language barriers and cultures—a tool that needs to promoted and preserved.”
The contest, which began in February, takes place in two stages—locally and nationally. The students submitted their entries to an Art Institute of their choice, where local competitions were held by February 11. These local winners’ entries from the preliminary round have now been placed into consideration for national judging, which takes place April 13–27. A panel of art and graphic design professionals, as well as representatives from Americans for the Arts, will visit The Art Institutes' website (www.artinstitutes.edu/posterdesign) and score the 24 entries on a 100 point-value system.
The first-place winner and all preliminary competition winners' work will be used in a promotional calendar for Americans for the Arts, to be distributed to high schools across North America. In addition, Americans for the Arts will create an online gallery of all scholarship-winning artwork on its website. In addition to the online gallery, the first-place winner's poster will be used in national marketing materials for Americans for the Arts.
Locations participating include: The Art Institute of Washington (VA), a branch of The Art Institute of Atlanta; The Art Institute of Atlanta (GA); The Art Institute of California—Los Angeles; The Art Institute of California—Orange County; The Art Institute of California—San Diego; The Art Institute of California—San Francisco; The Art Institute of Charlotte (NC); The Art Institute of Colorado (Denver); The Art Institute of Dallas (TX); The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale (FL); The Art Institute of Houston (TX); The Art Institute of Las Vegas (NV); Miami International University of Art & Design (FL); The Art Institutes International Minnesota (Minneapolis); The Art Institute of New York City (NY); The Art Institute of Philadelphia (PA); The Art Institute of Phoenix (AZ); The Art Institute of Pittsburgh (PA); The Art Institute of Portland (OR); The Art Institute of Seattle (WA); The Art Institute of Tampa (FL), a branch of Miami International University of Art & Design; The Art Institute of Vancouver, Canada; The Illinois Institute of Art—Chicago; and The Illinois Institute of Art—Schaumburg, accredited by ACCSCT as a branch of The Illinois Institute of Art—Chicago.
About The Art Institutes
The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu), with 31 education institutions located throughout North America, provides an important source of design, media arts, fashion, and culinary professionals. The parent company of The Art Institutes, Education Management Corporation (www.edmc.com) is among the largest providers of private post-secondary education in North America, based on student enrollment and revenue. Student enrollment exceeded 66,000 as of fall 2004. EDMC has 70 primary campus locations in 24 states and two Canadian provinces. EDMC's education institutions offer a broad range of academic programs concentrated in the media arts, design, fashion, culinary arts, behavioral sciences, health sciences, education, information technology, and business fields, culminating in the award of associate's through doctoral degrees. EDMC has provided career-oriented education for over 40 years.
About Americans for the Arts
Americans for the Arts is the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With more than 40 years of service, we are dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Visit www.AmericansForTheArts.org for more information.
