Yupo Announces Judges for Fourth Annual Wally Awards

Yupo Announces 2006 Wally Award Winners: http://www.dexigner.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=8627

Yupo Corporation America, the largest manufacturer of synthetic paper in the western hemisphere, announces an accomplished panel of independent judges that will select the winning entries for Yupo's fourth annual Wally Awards contest. The panel will include: Christopher Bray, founder of publishing services company Common Ground Communications; Frank Baseman, principal of graphic design firm Baseman Design Associates; Noriko Ambe, highly-acclaimed artist and sculptor; and Bill Esler, Editor-in-Chief of Graphic Arts Monthly magazine. The 2006 Wally Awards judging panel combines decades of experience in graphic communications, art, printing, and design, along with extensive knowledge of the unique characteristics and attributes of YUPO synthetic paper.

Now in its fourth year, Yupo's Wally Awards recognizes distinctive achievements in design, printing and original artwork using YUPO synthetic paper. The panel will meet at Yupo's North American production facility in Chesapeake, VA on October 26, 2006 to judge submitted projects and select three winners based on the criteria of Creativity, Originality and Functionality. Additional finalists will be entered for Yupo's Wally Designer's Choice contest, where the general design, art and printing communities will cast votes online for their favorite pieces.

"Yupo Corporation is committed to recognizing creative design, art and printing projects on YUPO synthetic paper," explains Paul Mitcham, National Marketing Manager at Yupo Corporation America. "We are pleased to have distinguished judges on our panel who support the Wally Awards and our efforts to identify and reward creativity."

This year's Wally Awards winners will each receive a cash prize of US$1,000, a customized Wally Award statue designed by illustrator Bill Mayer, and a $500 certificate toward the purchase of PunchStock photography. Entrants can now register at http://www.wallyaward.com; the deadline for all entries has been extended to October 15, 2006.

The 2006 Wally Awards judging panel will include the following distinguished professionals:

Christopher Bray - Common Ground Communications
Since 1990, Christopher Bray has owned and operated the New Haven, Vermont-based Common Ground Communications, an award-winning publishing services provider offering publishers, organizations, and authors support from concept development and editorial through design, layout, and production. In 2006, Bray's books won First Place in the New England Book Show and an IPPY award; in addition, Bray's books have been added to the rare book collections of two university libraries. Bray is the former managing editor of the New England Press. He received his BA and MA (English) from the University of Vermont, and studied typography and graphic design at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Frank Baseman - Baseman Design Associates
Frank Baseman is the principal of Baseman Design Associates, an award-winning graphic design firm providing visual communication services to a variety of corporations and institutions. Baseman has been working in the graphic design industry for over 20 years, and his work has received recognition from numerous national and international communication organizations, design competitions, exhibitions and publications, such as AIGA, the Art Directors Club of New York and Philadelphia, Communication Arts Magazine; and the Society of Publication Designers. Baseman is also an Associate Professor in the Graphic Design Communication program at Philadelphia University, where he has taught since 1998, and has served on the national board of directors of AIGA and as chair of the Steering Committee for the AIGA Design Education Community of Interest. He earned a B.A. in Graphic Design from Penn State University and an M.F.A. in Graphic Design from Tyler School of Art of Temple University.

Noriko Ambe - Artist
Noriko Ambe is a Japanese-born visual artist currently residing in New York City.She received her B.F.A. in Painting from Musashino Art University (Tokyo, Japan), and her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions in the US and Japan, including at The Drawing Center, Pierogi, Bronx River Art Center, Cristinerose / Josee Bienvenu, Bill Maynes, Zabriskie, Gallery Natsuka, J2 Gallery, Gallery Q, Makii Masaru Fine Arts, and other galleries in New York and Tokyo. Ambe's work explores the terrain between human nature and the natural world. After carefully choosing her materials, she meticulously draws and cuts lines into paper and creates a growing shape. Ambe's recent solo exhibition was held at the Vermont Studio Center (Johnson, VT), and she is holding a current show at Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Staten Island.

Bill Esler - Graphic Arts Monthly
Bill Esler is Editor-In-Chief of Graphic Arts Monthly, the leading magazine for the graphic arts and allied industries, published by Reed Business Information. He is responsible for the overall editorial planning and content of each issue, as well as for companion on-line publications e-GAM and graphicartsmonthly.com. Esler has served in the graphic arts field for more than 30 years in various editorial and print industry production positions. Currently on the board of the Technical Association of the Graphic Arts (TAGA) and the Print & Graphics Scholarship Foundation, he has also contributed to three Techno Economic Forecasts for the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation and has presented at numerous industry meetings in the U.S. and China. Esler is a graduate of Knox College in Galesburg, IL and received print industry technical training at Triton College.

For more information about the 2006 Wally Awards, visit http://www.wallyawards.com

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