Reston, VA - The Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation (GAERF) has announced the winners of the GAERF 2010 Student Design Competition. From among the 137 entries, six winners were chosen, three at the secondary level and three at the post-secondary level.

Winners at the secondary level were:
1st Place: Collin Dean from Royal Oak High School, Royal Oak, MI
(Instructor: Michael Stinnett);
2nd Place: Brithney Miller from Upper Valley JVS, Piqua, OH
(Instructor: Ralph Ash); and,
3rd Place: Aubree Berg from Bay-Arenac ISD Career Center, Bay City, MI
(Instructor: Cort Schepeler).
Winners at the post-secondary level were:
1st Place: Brandon Lutze from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Instructor: Lorraine Donegan);
2nd Place: Drew McWhorter from Clemson University, Clemson, SC
(Instructor: Carol Jones); and,
3rd Place: Kathleen Lee from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Instructor: Lorraine Donegan).

The contest challenged students to create marketing materials designed to promote GRAPH EXPO 2011-the largest and most innovative trade show and conference for the graphic communications industry in the Americas. The entry included: creating a theme for GRAPH EXPO 2011; designing artwork to support the theme; and using the artwork to produce a finished marketing product.

Collin Dean's theme, "Embrace Technology," as well as the artwork he designed, has been formally adopted by the Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC) to promote next year's show, which will take place September 11–14, 2011.

First place winners and their instructors will receive a two-day all-inclusive paid trip to attend GRAPH EXPO 2010 in Chicago, IL.  In addition, they will be presented with a $2,000 check during GRAPH EXPO 2010's Career Awareness Day, October 6, 2010. The second place winners will be awarded $1,500, and the third place winners will receive $1,000.

"GAERF is proud to continue its commitment to supporting education initiatives by encouraging creativity and self-expression in students through the art of design and production," said GAERF President Ralph Nappi. "Most impressive is the significant number of entries received, a 59% increase compared to last year's contest. The GAERF 2010 Student Design Competition has served to recognize our best and brightest students, as well as the significant commitment of their instructors."