The Art Institutes and Americans for the Arts Announce Poster Design Competition Winners

WASHINGTON, June 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The national winners of The Art Institutes and Americans for the Arts Poster Design Competition 2013 are traveling to Washington, D.C., to accept their scholarship awards at a Congressional Reception on Capitol Hill. Whitney Lanier of Statesboro, GA, is the grand prize winner in the high school senior category of the competition. She wins a full tuition scholarship to The Art Institute of Atlanta. Morgan Stevens of Athens, IL, was selected the grand prize winner in the high school graduate category. She wins a $10,000 tuition scholarship to The Art Institute of St. Louis.

The competition, which is sponsored by The Art Institutes education system and Americans for the Arts, challenged students to create original poster designs that best expressed the theme, "You Can Create Tomorrow." Students submitted their entries to participating Art Institutes schools, where local competitions in the high school senior and high school graduate categories were held and winners were selected. The first place winners' entries were judged nationally by a panel of graphic design professionals from around the country.

"Art has been my passion ever since I was little," says Lanier. "I just genuinely love to create and design, and I'm so eager to follow my dream of being an animator or concept designer." Stevens agrees, saying, "I have been practicing art since I was old enough to write… I enjoy participating in anything that requires me to use my creativity and spend most of my time painting, drawing, knitting, and practicing photography."

Morgan Pica of Royal Palm Beach, FL, is the national second place winner in the high school senior category. She wins a half-tuition scholarship to study at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. And as the national third place winner in the high school senior category, Elizabeth McDonald of Langlois, OR, wins a quarter-tuition scholarship to study at The Art Institute of Portland. Pica and McDonald will also travel to Washington, D.C., for the June 27 Congressional Reception to accept their awards.

"This year's winners show impressive talent and imagination," said John Mazzoni, president of The Art Institutes. "Their visual representations of creating tomorrow are both beautiful and inspiring. Here at The Art Institutes, we are committed to providing our students with the opportunity to develop their talent and passion with an education that prepares them for creative careers."

President and CEO of Americans for the Arts Robert L. Lynch agreed, "This competition is a wonderful opportunity for students to show their interpretations of creating tomorrow. Americans for the Arts applauds their commitment to the creative and applied arts."

For more information about The Art Institutes and Americans for the Arts Poster Design Competition, visit http://www.multivu.com/players/English/58518-art-institutes-2013-poster-design-competition/.

The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu) is a system of more than 50 schools located throughout North America. The Art Institutes schools provide an important source of education for design, media arts, fashion and culinary professionals. Several institutions included in The Art Institutes system are campuses of South University or Argosy University. OH Registration # 04-01-1698B; AC0165, AC0080; Licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education, License No. 1287, 3427, 3110, 2581. Since The Art Institutes is comprised of several institutions, see aiprograms.info for program duration, tuition, fees, and other costs, median debt, federal salary data, alumni success, and other important information.

Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America. With offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City, it has a record of more than 50 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

SOURCE The Art Institutes