Students compete for label design and a chance to win $10,000

Twenty Fresno State students entered the Lipton Brisk Emerging Artist Contest for a chance to design an iced tea label.

Three winners will be chosen to win a $10,000 scholarship. Out of the 30 nationwide universities participating only 303 students submitted artwork.

Marketing major Marie Davis, the Fresno State campus representative for Brisk Tea, organized a free bowling event to motivate students to get involved in the contest. The company also used the event to showcase six new Lipton Brisk iced tea flavors. Students who attended had the chance to sample such flavors.

At the event, students were asked to give their name and e-mail address if they were interested in participating in the contest. Students were allowed to submit any art they created.

“It could be absolutely anything,” Davis said. “We want to know what type of artist they are.”

Before the contest ended last Thursday, Davis was very pleased with the numbers being in favor of Fresno State students.

“I would like for more Fresno State students to get involved,” Davis said. “We have a very high chance of getting them the money.”

Now that the submission deadline has passed, Davis said it is up to the student body to vote. Davis said she is currently organizing an art show in the Phebe Conley Gallery in which students will show off the art they submitted.

Graphic design major Cory Jackson first heard about the contest when Davis spoke to one of her classes. Jackson chose a piece she did for one of her art classes.

For the assignment, students were to pick something that could be turned into something manmade. She chose to create a piece that had a piece of fruit that turned into a tin of a fruit-based product.

Jackson said the cash prize would help finance some of her necessities for the upcoming semester, including a new computer.

“It would definitely help pay for school for my last year,” Jackson said. “The computer that I have is ancient.”

Interior design major Lesley Bosch is another student who heard about the contest through Davis.

“I thought, what do I have to lose?” Bosch said.

The art piece she submitted was a self-portrait she made in junior college.

“I used bright colors that are not ‘real life’ colors,” Bosch said.

“It reminds me a lot of an Andy Warhol painting with harsh lines of color depicting different shadows.”

Bosch said the cash prize would allow her to concentrate more on school and help her pay for her expenses. “Interior design classes aren’t cheap,” she said.

After attending the free bowling event, Bosch has a great feeling about her chances because of the feedback she received from fellow students.

“Granted I did not know a majority of the people there, but it made me feel good to have all those eyes on my artwork in hopes that it will stick in there minds when the voting process begins this next week,” Bosch said. “I was excited to see some of my fellow interior design classmates there for support, and I do want them to know that it was greatly appreciated.”