944

I've always adored the Paul Frank brand and it's whimsical characters, so if I was a graphic artist I would love the chance to take a creative poke at Julius. Though not sponsored by 944, I admit it's a great idea:

Paul Frank Industries announces the launch of Art Attack, a national visual talent contest set to go live on the company’s website (www.PaulFrank.com) on March 15th, 2010. An original artwork challenge developed in conjunction with JUXTAPOZ and THEME magazines, Art Attack invites artists to compete for a grand prize, which includes money towards a scholarship, art supplies and an ad showcasing the winning artist.

Paul Frank Industries recognizes the importance of nurturing creative talent in the artist community. With Art Attack, the company hopes to provide a platform for visual artists across all mediums. Contestants will have the opportunity to upload one image that best represents their work on the company’s website, where users across the nation will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite work. Following the first stage of voting, the top five artists will be chosen and will receive an image of Julius, the iconic Paul Frank character to incorporate into an original art design. The final Paul Frank inspired designs will be evaluated by a panel of judges which will include renowned artists Shawn Barber, Hisham Bharoocha, Tomokazu Matsuyama and editors John Lee from Theme and Evan Pricco from Juxtapoz. The grand prize winner will be announced on October 20, 2010.

Ryan Heuser, President, Paul Frank Industries stated, “We’ve always been an advocate for the arts as evidenced from our collaboration efforts with artists dating back to our beginnings as a brand. In this case we are trying a completely new approach. Given that art in its various forms are not being fully supported in schools, we wanted to step up and actually do something positive, to provide a platform where true talent can be showcased on a global stage with the full support of our brand behind it.”

The contest’s grand prize recipient will be awarded $2,500 to be used toward art supplies, inclusion of the winner’s final Paul Frank-inspired piece in advertisements in both JUXTAPOZ and THEME magazines and possibly an interview in both publications.

All entries must be submitted by July 12, 2010 and users can vote until August 15, 2010. For more information on contest rules and regulations, consumers can visit the “Art Attack” microsite on www.paulfrank.com or www.paulfrank.com/art_attack