ART PROFESSIONALS TO JUDGE “LIVE YOUR DREAM” ART CONTEST
Contest encourages children from kindergarten to 12th grade to draw women who inspire them

January 15, 2009
Contact: Kamali Brooks, Public Relations Manager
215-893-9000 x130

PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—Soroptimist, an international volunteer organization for business and professional women whose mission is to improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world, announced its judges for the Live Your Dream art contest, which encourages children to draw women who inspire them.

Judges:

• Roger Roth, of Philadelphia, has illustrated dozens of children’s books, two of which he has also written. He also provides editorial illustration for clients including the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, in addition to teaching at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He has won many awards for his work.
  
  
• Yuko Shimizu, of New York City, is a Japanese illustrator and part-time illustration instructor at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in Manhattan. She has created advertising campaigns for Microsoft, VISA, Pepsi, NIKE, MTV, FUSE TV and NPR, and her illustrations have appeared in TIME, The New York Times, The New Yorker, GQ and Rolling Stone
  
  
• Isabel Warren-Lynch, of New York City, is executive director of art and design at Random House for eight imprints, including Knopf Delacorte Dell (KDD) Books for Young Readers. While at Random House, she has designed and art-directed hundreds of books.

• Signe Wilkinson, of Philadelphia, is one of only three female editorial cartoonists is the United States, and in 1992 became the first woman to receive a Pulitzer Prize in the editorial cartoon category. She is currently the head editorial cartoonist at the Philadelphia Daily News.

Complete biographies for the judges are located at www.LiveYourDreamCamapaign.org/judges. Each judge will be responsible for one grade category: K-3, 4-6, 7-9, or 10-12. Three finalists in each category will be posted on the Live Your Dream website and voting will be opened up to the public. Winners will receive $100, as will their school. In addition, winning entries will be featured on the Live Your Dream and Soroptimist websites.

“Young people’s visual voices are so sincerely honest, pure, and insightful that their art immediately reminds us of what is humanly important and beautiful. I am honored to be part of this year’s Soroptimist Live Your Dream Art Contest,” stated Isabel Warren Lynch.

The contest is open to both boys and girls, from kindergarten to 12th grade. Drawings must convey a special woman and why she inspires the student. She can be someone they know; a current or historical figure; or a fictional character. If their work is chosen as a finalist, students will have the opportunity for it to be viewed by thousands of people on the Soroptimist Live Your Dream Campaign website at LiveYourDreamCampaign.org. The contest is being sponsored in honor of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, which take place in March. The winners will be announced at LiveYourDreamCampaign.org on March 8, International Women’s Day.

“What a great idea to focus young artists' minds and hearts on something so positive as the Live Your Dream art contest, which recognizes the tremendous influence and contributions of women,” added Roger Roth.

Headquartered in Philadelphia, Soroptimist offers programs that improve social and economic conditions for women and girls. Its major program, the Soroptimist Women’s Opportunity Awards, provides cash grants for women seeking to improve their lives with the help of additional education and training. Each year, more than $1 million is disbursed to deserving women through this award-winning program. Soroptimist, a 501(c)(3) organization that relies on charitable donations to support its programs, also sponsors the Live Your Dream campaign in recognition of the power of women and their dreams. Visit the campaign's online home at: <LiveYourDreamCampaign.org>. For more information on how Soroptimist improves the lives of women and girls, visit <Soroptimist.org>.

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