Friday, May 8, 2009

Recipients of Over $750,000 in Scholarships Announced at Second Annual Rock the Runway

The Art Institute of California – Orange County awarded over $750,000 in tuition scholarships to 84 incoming students last Saturday

On Saturday, May 2, The Art Institute of California – Orange County announced the recipients of over $750,000 in tuition scholarships to kick off Rock the Runway, a fashion, music and art festival. Eighty-four students received scholarships that ranged in value from $500 up to $46,000.

“The scholarship competition is held every year but it has never been more important for students than during this difficult economic climate,” said Daniel Levinson, president of The Art Institute of California – Orange County. “We received an overwhelming number of entries and are proud to be able to do our part to help students pursue their educational goals.”

Graduating high school seniors interested in pursuing a creative education competed for scholarships worth half the cost of tuition for one of the associate’s or bachelor’s degree programs offered at The Art Institute of California – Orange County. International students and contestants that had graduated high school before January 2009 were eligible for scholarships worth up to $10,000.

Requirements for the scholarships varied depending on the program the students were interested in pursuing, but all contestants were required to submit a resume, a letter of recommendation, a copy of their high school transcript and an essay describing their career goals.

“With over 16 different degree programs available, students can explore the creative field that interests them,” said Melinda Lester, Dean of Academic Affairs. “The application submission requirements provide a good example of the type of work students will be expected to complete once enrolled at The Art Institute of California – Orange County.”

The winners were announced during an awards ceremony that preceded the second annual fashion, music and art festival, Rock the Runway. Rock the Runway featured live performances by End Roulette, Metroid, DJ Nicky Savage and DJ Albert. Artists from eVocal customized hats and shoes for guests and painted a 20 foot mural, and students from the culinary department served gourmet hot dogs and mashed potato cocktails with exotic toppings.

The grand finale was a professionally-produced fashion show featuring looks from Miss Me, Elmer Ave, The Hive, Level 99 for men, Cohesive, shoes from Velvet Angels and PF Flyers and shades from Oakley. Seven Fashion Design students had original pieces in the show as part of the Rock Icon competition.

Rock the Runway sponsors donated several items for the online auction to help raise scholarship funds for Art Institute of California – Orange County students. Items from Miss Me, Oakley, Elmer Ave and more can be found at www.airocktherunway.com.

For more information on The Art Institute of California – Orange County, go to http://www.artinstitutes.edu/orangecounty or call 888.549.3055.

Media Contacts
Tricia Cook, 714.338.1303 or tacook@aii.edu
Veronica Orozco, 714.830.0221 or vorozco@aii.edu

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Rock the Runway Brought the Glamour of Rock to Over 2,500 Southern California Residents


On Saturday, May 2, over 2,500 people shared a day of glamour, rock and art with The Art Institute of California – Orange County. In just five short hours, guests of the second annual Rock the Runway event watched as students were awarded over $750,000 in tuition scholarships, heard two bands play hour-long sets, stood by as artists created a mural, ate gourmet hot dogs and mashed potato cocktails and were mesmerized by the professionally-produced fashion show that wrapped up the evening.

The highlight of Rock the Runway was the fashion show not only because of the looks from Miss Me, Elmer Ave, The Hive, Level 99 for men, Cohesive, shoes from Velvet Angels and PF Flyers and shades from Oakley, but because it was the runway debut for seven Fashion Design students.

The students competed against each other in the Rock Icon design competition and were challenged to create an outfit for a music legend of the past or present. The winner of the $2,000 design scholarship was decided by a panel of three judges: Rami Kashou, from season four of Project Runway; Lily McElroy, editor-in-chief of Preen Magazine; and Jonny Day, co-founder and designer for Elmer Ave.

Daniel MagaƱa, a fourth-quarter fashion student, was announced the winner and recipient of the $2,000 scholarship for his outfit inspired by Rihanna. The leather corset complete with spikes, chains and feather details, was modeled by Saleisha, the winner of America’s Next Top Model, cycle 9.

“The students in this competition have only had two to four quarters of instruction and they are already producing such high quality work,” said Mary Ann Gale, Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing & Management Academic Director. “I can only imagine how much more these students are going to grow by the time they get closer to graduation and producing their senior show.”

Rock the Runway began last year as a way to celebrate the arrival of the Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing & Management programs. The event this year showcased the 16 different creative programs available at The Art Institute of California – Orange County.

“The Art Institute of California – Orange County is proud to be a part of this community and we were happy to open our doors to the students, industry leaders and members of the media that make Orange County thrive,” said Daniel Levinson, president of The Art Institute of California – Orange County. “Rock the Runway is our way of getting to know our neighbors and letting our neighbors learn what we are all about.”

Aside from awarding scholarships, the second annual fashion, art and music festival also helped raise money for future competitions. Artists from eVocal customized hats and shoes for guests for a small fee and t-shirts designed by a local artist were also sold and contributed to the over $500 added to the scholarship fund. Sponsors also donated over $1,000 in goods for the online auction which is open until May 9.

To see pictures of the event, learn how to help raise scholarship funds for competitions like Rock Icon or to bid on items in the online auction, visit http://www.airocktherunway.com/.

Media Contacts
Tricia Cook, 714.338.1303 or tcook@aii.edu
Veronica Orozco, 714.830.0221 or vorozco@aii.edu