Students from Rio Rancho High School (Rio Rancho, NM) claimed top prize on Wednesday, May 30, 2011 at the Vans Custom Culture Art & Design Showcase at the Long Beach Museum of Art. Rio Rancho’s four Vans shoe designs were initially chosen from nearly 900 submissions across all 50 states and with the top honor, Rio Rancho High School receives a $50,000 grant towards the school’s art programs. Rio Rancho High School was also honored by Journeys with a $5,000 contribution for winning the “Local Attitude” award for creating the shoes that best represented their home turf.
Creativity and innovation dominated the students’ shoe designs, transforming four themes - art, music, action sports, and local attitude- into four striking pieces of original art. The judges panel included skate legend
Tony Alva, musician
Jordan Buckley of Every Time I Die, tattoo artist
Oliver Peck (Spike TV’s Ink Master), actress
AnnaLynne McCord (The CW’s 90210), and designer, television host and author
Whitney Port.