Vans Kicks Off 'Custom Culture' Competition to Support High School Arts; Register Beg. 1/2

The Vans Custom Culture competition inspires high school students across the U.S. to embrace their creativity. In light of decreased educational funding, Vans created this phenomenally-cool project to help ignite creativity and raise funds and awareness for the importance of ART in high schools all over the US. Since 2010, Vans has hosted a nationwide event called Custom Culture where high school students 'design their own VANS'- the project has opened the doors to thousands of students across the US to compete and create masterpieces of art from a pair of traditional Vans shoes. The winner is awarded $50,000 toward their high school art program!

Registration is slated to kick-off in New York January 2, 2013 - February 11, 2013. How it works is high school art programs can register for the 2013 competition on the Vans Custom Culture website (vans.com/customculture). After registration, each school will be tasked with customizing four favorite Vans styles: the Old Skool, 106 Vulcanized, Sk8-Hi and Classic Slip-On. Students are charged with designing each pair of shoes to fit within one of three themes representing the Vans lifestyle, including action sports, art and music and then also a fourth "local flavor" theme reflecting regional inspiration.

After an internal Vans team narrows down the selection, the public will have the opportunity to vote through the Vans Custom Culture website from April 22 to May 13, 2013. The top five schools will be invited to New York City to showcase their designs for the crowd and celebrity judges at a special event in June 2013, where the grand prize winner will be announced.

In March 2013, the designs created by 2012 Vans Custom Culture winners Rio Rancho High School (Rio Ranch, NM) will go on sale at Vans and Journeys stores as well as the Vans online shop. Rio Rancho claimed the $50,000 prize last year as well as Journeys' "Local Attitude" award when their designs were recognized amongst the nearly 900 participants.

For more information both students and teachers alike can visit Vans.com/customculture. The website is the central hub for the contest, providing registration information, contest rules, an exciting kick-off video and program updates.

Visit the initiative's Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/vanscustomculture.