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For Immediate Release

Visit www.aii.edu/poster to view the local winners' artwork

(PITTSBURGH)  April 8, 2004—Twenty-four high school students from across the country interested in a graphic design career 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 "Life is Better with Art in It," and wrote designer statements explaining their poster concept and why they want to enter the graphic design field.

The final stage of the contest, set to begin April 14, 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 role arts play in our lives and in our communities," says Michael Maki, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Education Management Corporation, the parent company of The Art Institutes.

According to Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans For The Arts, "As funding for arts programs continues to be slashed in federal and state budgets, we want young people to remember that art is an essential part of American life that needs to promoted and preserved."

The contest, which began in January, takes place in two stages–locally and nationally.  The students submitted their entries to an Art Institute of choice, where local competitions were held by February 13.  These local winners' entries from the preliminary round have been placed into consideration for national judging, which takes place April 14–28.  A panel of art and graphic design professionals, as well as representatives from Americans for the Arts, will visit The Art Institute's website (www.aii.edu/poster) 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 web site.  In addition to the online gallery, the first-place winner's poster will be used in national marketing materials for Americans for the Arts.

National Poster Design Competition
Locations participating include: The Art Institute of Washington (Arlington, VA) (a branch of The Art Institute of Atlanta, GA), The Art Institute of Atlanta (GA), The New England Institute of Art (Brookline, MA), 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 Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago, and The Illinois Institute of Art – Schaumburg.

About The Art Institutes
The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu), with 30 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 58,000 as of fall 2003. EDMC has 66 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, and its education institutions have more than 150,000 alumni.

About Americans for the Arts
Americans for the Arts is the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With a 40-year record of service, it is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. For details, visit www.AmericansfortheArts.org.

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