Safeway Selects 30 Finalists in 'Art of Dairy' Contest

PLEASANTON, Calif. -- Safeway Inc. yesterday named 30 students as finalists to compete for a $30,000 grand prize in its Lucerne The Art of Dairy "Cows & History" Art Contest.

The contest, named after Safeway's private label dairy brand, draws thousands of entries created by students from classrooms across the country, and was designed to be a special educational project to promote artistic creativity, academic excellence, and healthy lifestyles. This is the third running of the competition.

"Safeway has long been a major supporter of education and student achievement," said Safeway e.v.p. Larree Renda. "This program combines the richness of American history with the creativity of visual art. We continue to be impressed with the extraordinary talent of these young artists."

Using cows as the focal point to promote dairy products as healthy snack alternatives for kids, Safeway asked students ages 12 to 19 to submit designs based on the theme of "Cows & History," using an outline of a cow as the canvas. Entries were accepted from mid-October 2007 to December 10. The contest drew entries from all over the country with nearly 6,000 middle school and high school students from as far away as Maryland and Hawaii submitting entries.

A distinguished panel of judges will choose the final winner, including renowned graphic artist Michael Schwab, as well as Mary Scott, chair of the School of Graphic Design at the Academy of Art University.

The 30 finalists will transfer their designs to life-sized fiberglass cow sculptures in the final phase of the competition. Each school receives a $250 stipend to purchase the art supplies that their student finalist uses to decorate the cow sculpture. The grand-prize winner will receive $20,000 for his or her school's art department, plus $5,000 each for the winner and his or her art teacher.

The completed decorated cows will be on display at a Safeway or Safeway-owned store near the finalists' schools during the final judging phase. During this time, the panel of distinguished judges will review the entries to pick a winner of the grand prize. The grand-prize winner will be announced at the end of April.

Safeway created a Web site, www.safeway.com/lucerne, to showcase past winners and contest information and share healthy recipes.
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