CYPRESS, Calif., June 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Vans, the original
action sports brand and one of the largest youth culture brands in
the world, named Parker High School
from Parker, South Dakota as the
grand prize winner of the eighth annual Vans Custom Culture art
competition. Vans and program partners - Laguna College of Art +
Design (LCAD), Americans for the Arts, Blick Art Materials and
Journeys, awarded $50,000 toward the
school's arts education program. The remaining finalists –
Fontainebleau High School, Friendswood High School, Ridley High School and Will C Woods High School
were each awarded $4,000 to support
their arts program.
![Parker High School - 2017 Vans Custom Culture winner Parker High School - 2017 Vans Custom Culture winner](https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/521245/2017_Vans_Custom_Culture_winner.jpg)
Vans hosted the top five final high schools on an all-expenses
paid trip to Los Angeles for a
week-long schedule of activities and celebration. The final event
was held on June 7 at the H.D.
Buttercup Loft in the downtown arts district. Influential judges
including creative consultant and designer Jayne Min, pro-surfer Leila Hurst, pro-skater Lizzie Armanto, Vans Director of Footwear Color
and Trend Rian Pozzebon, as well as
special musical guest Daya, selected the winning custom shoe
designs among the talented group of art students. Based on the
voting criteria of Overall Creativity, Relevance to the Theme and
Execution, Parker High School was
deemed the 2017 winner. The event was live streamed on Facebook so
families and fellow classmates across the country could join in on
the celebration.
"Vans is proud to be a driving force for students to express
their creativity through art and design," said Doug Palladini, Vans Global Brand President.
"We're honored that Vans Custom Culture has become a foundational
platform of our brand that enables high school students to become
the next generation of creative individuals."
In addition to the grand prize, footwear retailer, Journeys,
awarded Friendswood High School from Friendswood, Texas $15,000 for their art program. LCAD further
fueled their involvement by extending scholarship opportunities to
the student finalists so that they can continue to explore art and
design educations and career paths.
Since its inception, Vans Custom Culture has awarded hundreds of
thousands in monetary donations to support art education in schools
across the nation, empowering creativity through art and design.
3,000 high schools registered for this year's competition and were
challenged to design four pairs of blank canvas Vans shoes to
personify the Vans "Off the Wall" lifestyle: action sports, art,
music and local flavor.
To witness the crowning of the Custom Culture competition winner
visit facebook.com/vanscustomculture through July 7, 2017.
For more information and to stay up-to-date on future
competitions, visit the Vans Custom Culture website at
customculture.vans.com.
@vanscustomculture
#vanscustomculture
About Vans
Vans®, a VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC) brand, is the original
action sports footwear, apparel and accessories brand. Vans
authentic collections are sold globally in more than 75 countries
through a network of subsidiaries, distributors and international
offices. Vans also owns and operates nearly 600 retail locations
around the world. The Vans brand promotes the action sports
lifestyle, youth culture and creative self-expression through the
support of athletes, musicians and artists and through progressive
events and platforms such as the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing®, the
Vans U.S. Open of Surfing, Vans Pool Party, Vans Custom
Culture, Vans Warped Tour®, and Vans' cultural hub and
international music venue, the House of Vans.
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
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SOURCE Vans