EA, Universities Partner For Sims Student Art Shows

Major publisher and developer Electronic Arts has announced a partnership with Parsons The New School for Design in New York, Academy of Art University in San Francisco and Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles for student art competitions and exhibitions based on EA's phenomenally popular The Sims franchise. Each school will be awarding cash prizes totaling $12,000 for the students' video game-inspired art exhibits, with machinima and traditional art displays being judged separately by EA and the three schools. The exhibits will be sponsored by Ford Motor Company, and will cover a range of mediums including machinima, paintings, illustrations, sculptural work, fashion designs, cinematography, and interactive displays. The exhibition dates for this unique art showcase are as follows: — April 19th - May 12th: Parsons The New School for Design at the Chelsea Art Museum — June 26th - July 19th: 79 Gallery at Academy of Art University, San Francisco — July 14th - August 11th: Ben Maltz Gallery at Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles Commented EA's Sims division general manager Nancy Smith, “We've seen fans make everything from their dream home, to story-driven movies using The Sims as their medium. Putting a creative tool like The Sims in the hands of emerging artists opens up a whole new world of possibilities—we can't wait to see what the students come up with.” More information the events, including submission guidelines, will soon be available via the official website.