-Artwork to debut during the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival March 10-20-
San Francisco, CA (March 14, 2011) - Two Academy of Arts University students have become the youngest winners of the Asian Heritage Street Celebration's poster contest with their chic crane shaped as a seven, in honor of the 7th annual event.
Their collaborative design was one of over 30 global entries for the annual poster contest held in partnership with the Asian Art Museum, Center for Asian American Media, and Kearny Street Workshop.
"It was extremely difficult to select our poster winner this year as there were many talented entries, but this crane creatively shaped as a "7" stood out for its simple elegance," said Shelly Kim, Membership and Communications Manager for Center for Asian American Media.
Filipino Virgilio Leynes, Jr. and Vietnamese American Minh Tran, both majoring in Web Design and New Media, win the $500 grand prize and their crane will become part of the personality for this year's event and will be featured in a marketing campaign in both the mainstream and Asian Pacific markets in a combination of posters, postcards, Muni bus ads, BART banners, bus shelters, newspaper ads and in a TV commercial. Their artwork will debut during the 29th Annual San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival held from now until March 20, in the slide show prior to each film screening.
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| Virgilio Leynes, Jr. |
"This contest is a great opportunity for any aspiring artist to have their work showcased on such a large scale through a major citywide multi-media advertising campaign," said Jennifer Yin, Marketing and Communications Associate for the Asian Art Museum. "Keep your eyes out in April when the artwork hits the streets."
The two friends, Leynes and Tran decided to incorporate a crane into their design, because it is a bird that is prevalent in many Asian cultures - including Chinese, Korean, and Japanese, representing wisdom and peace.
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| Minh Tran |
Born in Quezon City, Philippines, Leynes, 22, has traveled all around the world with his mother due to her job as a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees field agent. He lived in India for two years and has traveled to Macedonia, Hong Kong, China, Vietnam and Thailand just to name a few. His travels have widened his appreciation for Asian Art and this appreciation shapes his artistic vision today.
Tran, 20, born in Vinh Long, Vietnam, is is the founder and Director of Public Relations of AuCo Productions at the Au Co Vietnamese Cultural Center in San Francisco. His works are heavily influence by Asian culture and heritage and mainstream fashion.
"We are both excited to be apart of this wonderful street fair that celebrates the diversity of the Asian American community," says Tran.
The 7th Annual Asian Heritage Street Celebration will be held on Saturday May 21, 2011 in front of the Asian Art Museum, leading up to the Little Saigon District. The street fair gathers all communities among Asian Pacific Islanders in the San Francisco Bay Area, and enables cross cultural interaction through sharing of cultures, promoting Asian inspired arts and crafts vendors, creation of innovative programs and entertaining activities for visitors and participants.
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About the AsianWeek Foundation
The Asian Heritage Street Celebration is organized by the AsianWeek Foundation in cooperation with over 150 organizations in the local and Asian American community. It is held the 3rd Saturday of every May. The AsianWeek Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) committed to developing Asian American community. All proceeds from the Celebration are donated to local and national non-profit organizations. www.AsianWeekFoundation.org
About Asian Art Museum
The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
is one of the largest museums in the Western world devoted exclusively
to Asian Art, with a collection of over 17,000 artworks spanning 6,000
years of history. The museum is a public institution whose mission is to
lead a diverse global audience in discovering the unique material,
aesthetic, and intellectual achievements of Asian art and culture.
About Center for Asian American Media
The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) is a non-profit organization dedicated to presenting stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible. CAAM does this by funding, producing, distributing and exhibiting works in film, television and digital media.
About Kearny Street Workshop
KSW, a non-profit, community-based organization whose mission is to produce, present and promote art that empowers Asian Pacific American artists and communities. Having just celebrated its 35th anniversary, KSW serves the community as an information resource and through our four areas of arts programming: adult arts education, next generation arts support and training, multidisciplinary arts presentations, and publications. www.kearnystreet.org