The 2011 winner of the Art Institutes and Americans for the Arts Poster Design Competition have been announced. The competition was created to recognize, encourage, and reward young artistic talent at the high school level. High school seniors with an interest in design were eligible to enter the competition to express their visual interpretation of why "life is better with art in it." Students submitted their entries to participating Art Institutes schools, where local competitions were held and winners were selected. These first place winners'€™ entries were then placed into consideration for national judging. A panel of graphic design professionals visited The Art Institutes'€™ website (www.artinstitutes.edu/posterdesign) and scored the 48 entries on a 100-point value system.

Judges chose Ernest Castillo'€™s submission, a design depicting an artist'€™s journey to a magical deep-sea environment as he paints the first stroke on a blank canvas, because it best exemplifies the competition theme - €"€œlife is better with art in it." Castillo'€™s prize-winning piece tries to show the audience that art inspires, excites and ultimately moves artists and viewers alike.

For more information on The Art Institutes and Americans for the Arts Poster Design Competition, visit The Art Institutes website.