CAPTION: The Uptown Multi-Cultural Art Center in Chicago started the Anti-Racist T-shirt Art Contest Tour to promote cultural diversity. This cartoon was designed by one of the organization's founding artists, Tim Jackson, Creative License Studio, Chicago. In it the Director says "OK, on the Littleton Colorado piece - emphasis the idea of getting even with the jocks and edit out those comments about killing black kids...we don't want pathological cold hearted meticulously calculated planning to murder Blacks and Latinos to sound racially motivated"

INTERNET T-SHIRT CONTEST
PROMOTES RACIAL HARMONY

The Internet sometimes gets a bad rap as a haven for hate groups and other fringe organizations. But Chris Drew, co-founder, UPTOWN MULTI-CULTURAL ART CENTER (UM-CAC), Chicago, is fighting to change that perception with the Anti-Racist T-shirt Art Contest Tour.

The Contest promotes artists from around the world while developing an online multi-cultural community - and its launching point is the T-shirt. "T-shirt art always has been a political and expressive medium, a forum for people to say who they are and what they believe." Drew says.

Artists can submit as many as three black-and white, anti-racist designs explaining the history or cause of racism or encouraging diversity and harmony. Entrants should use a black marker or pen & ink on white paper so the art can be reproduced easily, Drew suggests.

All participants' art will be displayed on the UM-CAC Web site, www.art-teez.org and selected images eventually will become part of a touring exhibit. Submissions will be judged by other artists, and the winner, who will be chosen Aug. 1, 2000, will receive a $500 prize.

Entrants can sign a non-exclusive licensing agreement allowing their artwork to be printed on T-shirts and sold by UM-CAC on its Web site. "Smaller art organizations have lost funding to support struggling artists," Drew says. "But the Internet provides an affordable way to promote yourself."

Drew hopes the contest will build traffic to his organization's Web site, which provides a place for people of all races, through discussion forums under the art and Web links to related site, to increase awareness of race-related problems and possible solutions.

The 12-year-old UM-CAC, one man [in the office], non-profit organization helps artists through other means, including an annual "Art of the T-Shirt" exhibit at Chicago libraries, as well as free workshops teaching basic one-color, screen printing.

Although the organization struggles with funding, Drew remains undeterred. "We will crawl until we can walk. I think we're crawling very well with the resources we have."

NEXT PRESS RELEASE

All rights reserved © 2001 Uptown Multi-Cultural Art Center (UM-CAC). E-mail UM-CAC at umcac@art-teez.org Ph.773/561-7676