LG Electronics Announces Student Finalists In 'Art Of The Pixel' New-Media Competition

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Aug. 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- After reviewing nearly 300 entries from students at nine of the country's top art schools, LG Electronics USA today announced the finalists for its new-media art competition, "The Art of the Pixel: Powered by LG Ultra HD 4K and OLED TV." The finalists were selected through an extensive judging process that included scoring by renowned digital artist Mark Tribe and LG experts, as well as an online popular vote.

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"We knew these talented students would create digital art that demonstrated the exceptional picture quality of our Ultra HD and OLED TV technologies, and our nine finalists really took it to the next level," said Dave VanderWaal, head of marketing for LG Electronics USA. "Each student's submission captured the spirit of the competition, and we are excited to celebrate all of them at next month's LG Art of the Pixel gala."

Each student's work will be featured on LG's Ultra HD and OLED TVs at an exclusive, star-studded gala event in New York in September, when LG, Tribe and art enthusiast and Art of the Pixel Ambassador Neil Patrick Harris will recognize all nine finalists and announce the program winners. In addition to the grand prize winner, LG will name one runner-up student and award a total of $100,000 in school grants. 

The nine finalists, listed alphabetically by school, are:

• California Institute of the Arts: Behrouz Raei, "Hide and Seek"
• Laguna College of Art and Design: Dohee Yang, "Journey"
• Maryland Institute College of Art: Sara Hill, "Separation"
• Pacific Northwest College of Art: John Summerson, "Painting From Life"
• Parsons The New School for Design: An Li, "A Night At the Parkway"
• Pratt Institute: Joseph Bui, "110 Fathoms"
• Rhode Island School of Design: Bo Yoon (Christina) Chang, "Link House"
• San Francisco Art Institute: Maya Smira, "Borderline"
• School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: Daniel Barreto, "Au Courant"

"The finalists all made work that exploited the LG TVs' strengths of contrast, color and detail," said Tribe. "It's amazing to have a medium that is as strong as the artist's message. These new TVs really allow the work to shine."

LG accepted still and motion artwork from students enrolled in partner schools, submitted June 1 through July 13, and will ultimately award three school grants and 11 student prizes.

"These students applied the latest display technology in a way that shows the whole world a new television application and really showcases the brilliance that today's most advanced TV displays deliver," said Tim Alessi, LG's U.S. director of new product development, who served on the judging committee. "While evaluating each submission, it was clear to me that OLED and UHD 4K technologies are the best way to display the works the way the artists want them to be seen—with vivid colors and stunning clarity and detail."

As the first to introduce Ultra HD TV to the United States and as the industry leader in OLED TV, LG is uniquely positioned to provide the canvas for today's digital artwork with its latest display technologies. LG's Ultra HD 4K TVs offer increased resolution – more than 8 million pixels – which means the finer details of artists' work will come to life with incredible clarity and brilliant detail as compared to Full HD displays. LG's OLED TVs offer the ultimate in display technology with incredible color accuracy and an infinite contrast ratio for brighter, more vibrant images within a super-slim and elegant display. This month, LG introduced its third OLED TV in 13 months, further cementing its market dominance in this new display category, while also making the technology more affordable than ever before to consumers.

For more on The Art of the Pixel and to view the finalists' art works, please visit www.lgusa.com/LGSupportsTheArts.

About LG Electronics USA
LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a $53 billion global force and technology leader in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications. In the United States, LG Electronics sells a range of stylish and innovative home entertainment products, mobile phones, home appliances, commercial displays, air conditioning systems and solar energy solutions, all under LG's "Life's Good" marketing theme. LG Electronics is a 2014 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year. For more information, please visit www.lg.com.

About CalArts
Ranked America's number one college for students in the arts by Newsweek/The Daily Beast, CalArts is recognized for its commitment to creative thinking and risk-taking. With its six related schools: Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music and Theater,  CalArts is unique in its multidisciplinary approach to studying the arts and is one of the first schools in the country to offer a program in World Music for performance. CalArts encourages students to recognize and explore the complexity of the aesthetic, social and political aspects of the arts. It is supported by its distinguished faculty of practicing artists and provides its BFA, MFA and DMA students with both the hands-on training and the engagement with the cultural community necessary for artists' growth. CalArts was founded in 1961—and opened in 1969—as the first institution of higher learning in the U.S. specifically for students interested exclusively in pursuing degrees in the visual and performing arts.

About Laguna College of Art and Design
Laguna College of Art and Design is one of an elite number of institutions that has both regional accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and national accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. The LCAD Design and Digital Media program offers an intensely creative, digitally advanced and professionally relevant educational experience. LCAD believes designers are problem solvers who work across all areas of media, therefore all design students receive a comprehensive education in print, 3D, video, motion, and UI/UX design. The reputation of LCAD's Design and Digital Media program has given graduates exclusive entry into the professional design community and employment with the world's most recognized brands. LCAD Bachelors of Fine Arts degrees are offered in Design and Digital Media, Drawing and Painting, Illustration, Animation, and Game Art. The graduate program awards a Master of Fine Arts in Drawing and in Painting. 

About Maryland Institute College of Art
Founded in 1826, Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is the oldest continuously degree-granting college of art and design in the nation. The College enrolls nearly 3,500 undergraduate, graduate and continuing studies students from 48 states and 61 countries in fine arts, design, electronic media, art education, liberal arts, and professional studies degree and non-credit programs. Redefining art and design education, MICA is pioneering interdisciplinary approaches to innovation, research, and community and social engagement. Alumni and programming reach around the globe, even as MICA remains a cultural cornerstone in the Baltimore/Washington region, hosting hundreds of exhibitions and events annually by students, faculty and other established artists.

About Pacific Northwest College of Art
As Oregon's flagship college of art and design since 1909, Pacific Northwest College of Art has helped shape Oregon's visual arts landscape for more than a century. PNCA students study with award-winning faculty in small classes. In the last seven years, PNCA has doubled both the student body and full-time faculty, quadrupled its endowment, and added innovative undergraduate and graduate programs. PNCA is now embarking on its boldest venture yet by establishing the Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Center for Art and Design as an anchor for the College's vision of a new campus home on Portland's North Park Blocks. Focusing on the transformative power of creativity, the capital campaign, Creativity Works Here, was launched in June 2012 with a lead gift from The Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation of $5 million. PNCA's new home will be a bustling hub for creativity and entrepreneurship, reflecting the influential role of art and design in our 21st century economy – both in Portland and beyond. For more information, visit pnca.edu.

About Parsons The New School for Design 
Parsons The New School for Design is one of the leading institutions for art and design education in the world. Based in New York but active around the world, the school offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the full spectrum of art and design disciplines. Critical thinking and collaboration are at the heart of a Parsons education. Parsons graduates are leaders in their respective fields, with a shared commitment to creatively and critically addressing the complexities of life in the 21st century. For more information, please visit www.newschool.edu/parsons.

About Pratt Institute
Founded in 1887, Pratt Institute is a global leader in higher education dedicated to preparing its 4,700 undergraduate and graduate students for successful careers in art, design, architecture, information and library science, and liberal arts and sciences. Located in a cultural hub with historic campuses in Brooklyn and Manhattan, Pratt is a living lab of craft and creativity with an esteemed faculty of accomplished professionals and scholars who challenge their talented students to transform their passion into meaningful expression.

About Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) has earned an international reputation as the leading college of art and design in the United States. Recently ranked #1 in Business Insider's survey of The World's 25 Best Design Schools, approximately 2,400 students from around the world study at RISD, pursuing full-time bachelor's or master's degree programs in a choice of 19 studio majors. RISD is known for its phenomenal faculty of artists and designers, the breadth of its specialized facilities and its hands-on, studio-based approach to learning – one in which critical thinking informs making works by hand. Required courses in the liberal arts provide an essential complement to studio work, enabling graduates to become critical and informed individuals eager to engage with the world. Through the accomplishments of its 26,000 alumni, the college champions the vital role artists and designers play in satisfying the global demand for innovation. Founded in 1877, RISD (pronounced "RIZ-dee") and the RISD Museum of Art help make Providence, RI among the most culturally active and creative cities in the region. For more information, visit www.risd.edu.

About the San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) is a magnet for individuals who push beyond what is known to discover uncharted artistic terrain. This has been true since its doors first opened in 1871 and why we can say that San Francisco Art Institute's "history" is of always being contemporary. SFAI artists learn to think expansively, research infinitely, question everything, shatter existing paradigms, and redefine and contest cultural "norms." This relentless boundary breaking is not merely rebellious; it reflects a collective goal: to create new ways of looking at and living in the world. Through its many facets—degree programs, exhibitions, public programs, non-degree courses, and artist-driven educational experiments—SFAI nurtures an eclectic range of independent minds under its roof, approaching learning and thinking about art and its critical contexts without fear, shame, or intellectual/artistic constraints.

More information about SFAI's programs, including BFA and BA degrees, MFA (academic year and summer options) and MA degrees, a dual MA/MFA degree, a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate, and a range of continuing education and public programs, please visit www.sfai.edu

About the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 
Founded in 1876 and accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (SMFA) is one of only two art schools in the country affiliated with a major museum—the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Its mission is to provide an education in the fine arts—for undergraduate and graduate artists—that is interdisciplinary and self-directed. The SMFA education values cultural, artistic and intellectual diversity; it embraces a wide range of media; it stresses the development of individual vision and its relation to culture in general; it values equally the knowledge gained by thinking and doing; it is deeply engaged with the world as a whole. If the mission is constant, its practice is always transforming. For more information about our programs and partnerships, visit www.smfa.edu.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7217231-lg-art-of-the-pixel

SOURCE LG Electronics USA, Inc.