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Vans Searches for the Best Young Art & Design Talent With Custom Culture High School Art Program

Four Talented Art Classes From Across the US Will Send Representatives to Los Angeles for Art Showcase With Expenses Paid by Vans

Vans, the original Southern California surf & skate footwear maker, is sending out a nationwide call to join Vans' Custom Culture and to take part in our sneaker customization contest open to high school art classes across the United States. The Vans Custom Culture contest, which begins registration March 1 at vans.com/customculture, culminates with an expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles in May for representatives from four schools to take part in an art showcase. Vans will accept entries from up to 10 schools per state and Washington, D.C. meaning as many as 510 schools could participate nationally. A Vans panel will then select top 5 art classes from each of the four regions who will then compete to be among the final four schools chosen by a celebrity panel to make the trip to Los Angeles.

Registration for Custom Culture begins on March 1 and each high school art class that registers will receive four pairs of Vans shoes on which to display their collective creativity. All registration and submissions will take place via the Vans Custom Culture web site at vans.com/customculture. An online gallery will exhibit the complete collection of submissions for the world to see.

"In a time when schools are faced with shrinking budgets, art education is often a discipline that is overlooked," said Doug Palladini, Vans Vice President of Marketing. "Vans has always supported creative expression and we hope the Custom Culture program will inspire young art students and draw attention to high school art programs nationwide."

Winning schools from each region will receive a budget for a trip to Los Angeles that includes a Welcome BBQ and tour of Vans headquarters in Orange County, a day of fun seeing the sites of Southern California and the final event held at an art gallery on May 15, 2010 in Los Angeles. The winning school will receive a grand prize pack for their class, tickets to the Vans Warped Tour in their area and a $10,000 donation to their school's art program.

To find official rules and program information for Vans Custom Culture, visit vans.com/customculture. To ask us questions about the Vans Custom Culture program via our Facebook page, visit facebook.com/vanscustomculture.

Vans, the leader in action sports footwear and apparel, is a brand of VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC). Vans collections, which include active footwear, apparel and accessories, snowboard boots and outerwear and the Pro-tec line of protective gear, are sold in the United States through more than 200 company owned stores and factory outlets as well as independent retailers. Internationally, Vans sells its goods in approximately 50 countries through a network of distributors, sales agents and foreign offices. Vans supports and promotes the action sports lifestyle through such events and destinations as the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing®, The Vans Downtown Showdown, the Pro-tec Pool Party and the Vans Warped Tour®.

Vans Custom Culture official rules visit and info can be found at vans.com/customculture. Ask us questions about the Vans Custom Culture program via our Facebook page at facebook.com/vanscustomculture.