SAN FRANCISCO, CA (March 19, 2008) – Extraordinary fashion and graphic design highlights from the Academy of Art University exhibit "JUNK MAIL: From Debris to Design" travel to Oakland’s Frank H. Ogawa Plaza and StopWaste.Org Headquarters this April, infusing an artistic edge to citywide Earth Day celebrations. The awe-inspiring fashions and resourcefully constructed design displays bring a powerful call to action to the shocking fact 100 million trees are expired solely for junk mail in the United States every year. The Academy of Art University, the City of Oakland, and StopWaste.Org are joining forces with the Bay Area Recycling Outreach Coalition (BayROC) to reduce not only junk mail consumption, but also production.

Utilizing junk mail retrieved from San Francisco mailboxes, students from the Academy’s Schools of Fashion, Fine Art Sculpture, Graphic Design, and Industrial Design created dozens of imaginative artworks ranging from fashions delicately crafted with credit card offers to striking statements of environmental impact shining from inventive shadow boxes. "JUNK MAIL: From Debris to Design" encourages consumers to fight back against an insidious industry which cuts down 17 trees for each ton of junk mail. With the average American adult receiving and disposing of approximately 41 pounds of generally unwanted and unopened advertising material each year, the energy used to produce and dispose of junk mail exceeds 2.8 million cars.

“Academy of Art University student creations on exhibit in 'JUNK MAIL: From Debris to Design' provide outstanding proof of the leading role artists and designers can take in motivating people to create healthy changes to reduce consumption of and safeguard previous environmental resources,” says Academy of Art University President Elisa Stephens.

Highlights from "JUNK MAIL: From Debris to Design" will be on view at Oakland’s Dalziel Building Lobby, located at 250 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza next to Oakland City Hall, from April 7th through 25th. A concurrently running exhibit will be showcased at the eco-friendly StopWaste.Org Headquarters, featuring the highest possible LEED rating and located at 1537 Webster Street, Oakland, CA, 94612, from April through September 2008. StopWaste.Org is dedicated to achieving the most environmentally sound solid waste management and resource conservation program for the people of Alameda County and is a national leader in producing effective solutions that reduce the waste of natural resources.

Further information is available at www.academyart.edu and www.StopWaste.Org. Please contact Larissa Dozier at larissadozier@sbcglobal.net for images of "JUNK MAIL: From Debris to Design artwork."

Founded in 1929, the Academy of Art University is the nation's largest private art & design university, offering accredited Associate of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, or Master of Fine Arts degrees in thirteen areas of art & design, and over 30 areas of academic emphasis. With over 11,000 students both online or on campus, majors include Advertising, Animation/Visual Effects, Architecture (MFA only), Computer Arts/New Media, Digital Arts/Communications (AA, BFA Only), Fashion, Fine Art, Graphic Design, Illustration, Interior Architecture & Design, Industrial Design, Motion Pictures & Television and Photography. Academy of Art University is nationally accredited by WASC, NASAD, Council for Interior Design Accreditation (Formerly FIDER), (BFA-IAD), and NAAB (M-ARCH).

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Press Contact Information

Larissa A. Dozier, Fine Arts Writer
larissadozier@sbcglobal.net
(510) 219-3100
2521 Carmel Street Oakland, CA 94602

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