Dunkin' Donuts Celebrates 60th Anniversary in New York Tri-State Area Through 'Donut Art' Competition

NEW YORK, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Dunkin' Donuts is celebrating its 60th Anniversary as America's all-day, every day stop for coffee and baked goods with its exciting Dunkin' Donuts "Donut Art" competition in the New York Tri-State area*.  Nine finalist designs of original student art from New York Metro art programs will be featured in over 1,500 regional Dunkin' Donuts restaurants -- and the winning design on a limited-edition top of the six-count donut box -- during the promotion running through September.

The winning design is from local Poughkeepsie resident, Ms. Brianne Seipp of Barrett Art Center in Poughkeepsie, NY -- a 68-year-old retired learning disabilities teacher, first-time art student and longtime Dunkin' Donuts fan. In addition to her design being featured on a limited-edition top of the six-count donut box, a $5,000 grant will be awarded to Barrett Art Center during a ceremony at a Dunkin' Donuts in Poughkeepsie, NY.

"I'm going to go out and deliver Dunkin' Donuts to my dentist, my doctor, my hair stylist..." said the humored and gracious winner, Ms. Seipp, when asked how she felt about the design being re-printed for in-store use. "We did not even initially know it was a contest; finding out only when class was over! It was so much fun, but I never expected in a million years to win."

Ms. Seipp's design is a watercolor showing a plate of donuts -- from the best-selling Boston Kreme to a Glazed Cake Donut -- alongside a cup of Dunkin' Donuts coffee. The watercolor background is a blend of the signature Dunkin' Donuts pink and orange colors.

New York Metro art programs were recruited to participate in the pilot "Donut Art" program celebrating 60 years of Dunkin' Donuts history. Students were given creative license to produce original designs with sole instruction to use the iconic Dunkin' donut as inspiration.

Eight finalists, whose artwork will be featured on an in-store window poster in regional Dunkin' Donuts restaurants, include the following:

• Nicholas Black of Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ
• Clori Caminiti-Osso of Bergen Community College in Paramus, NJ
• Jessica Chao of The College of New Jersey in Ewing, NJ
• Jillianne Chimento of Monmouth University in West Long Branch, NJ
• Meghan Maney of SUNY Orange County Community College in Middletown, NY
• Alice Slopnick of All About Art in Monroe, CT
• Theodore Williams of Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, NY
• Jacqueline Wilson of SUNY Orange County Community College in Middletown, NY

Designs were judged and finalists selected by a panel of regional Dunkin' Donuts corporate executives and franchisees based on the following criteria: creativity in design, use of Dunkin' Donuts signature pink and orange colors and inspiration of the iconic donut.  

"This year's "Donut Art" competition is a new way we're proudly recognizing our loyal Dunkin' Donuts guests while also helping bring attention to local art programs throughout the New York Tri-State area," said Missy Maio, Director of Field Marketing for Dunkin' Donuts in the Central Atlantic Region. "An original student-designed donut box top will be exciting for all Dunkin' customers as they arrive in our restaurants today."

Dunkin' Donuts is the largest coffee and baked goods chain in the world, selling more than 900 million donuts and Munchkins™ donut hole treats and one billion cups of hot and iced coffee every year. Today, there are more than 6,500 restaurants in 35 U.S. states and the District of Columbia and more than 2,600 international restaurants in 29 countries.

*Participating restaurants include those in the following counties:

New York: Bronx, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, Westchester

New Jersey: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, Warren

Connecticut: Fairfield

About Dunkin' Donuts

Founded in 1950, Dunkin' Donuts is America's favorite all-day, every day stop for coffee and baked goods. Dunkin' Donuts is a market leader in the regular/decaf coffee, iced coffee, hot flavored coffee, donut, bagel and muffin categories, and the largest coffee and baked goods chain in the world. Dunkin' Donuts has earned the No. 1 ranking for customer loyalty in the coffee category by Brand Keys for four years running. The company has more than 9,000 restaurants in 30 countries worldwide. In 2009, Dunkin' Donuts' global system-wide sales were more than $5.6 billion. Based in Canton, Massachusetts, Dunkin' Donuts is a subsidiary of Dunkin' Brands, Inc. For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.

SOURCE Dunkin' Donuts