United States Mint Announces New Artistic Infusion Program Artists

WASHINGTON, Aug. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United States Mint today announced that seven new artists have been selected to participate in the Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) as Associate Designers.  The AIP began in 2003 to help enrich and invigorate the design of U.S. coins and medals.

A call for artists was issued August 28, 2009, seeking up to 10 associate designers to supplement the current pool of artists under contract in the AIP.  Applications were accepted on a rolling basis with three deadlines.  The United States Mint received more than 150 applications from professional visual artists nationwide.      

After the first two deadlines of November 9, 2009, and March 8, 2010, an official panel convened at United States Mint headquarters to review the qualifying applications.  The panel was composed of representatives from the National Endowment of the Arts, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian and National Gallery of Art, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

After its review and evaluation, the panel recommended four artists after the November 9 deadline and three after the March 8 deadline.  The new associate designers are:

• Paul Cainto Balan of Round Lake Heights, Illinois
• Chris Costello of Arlington, Massachusetts
• Barbara Fox of Little Valley, New York
• Thomas Hipschen of Arlington, Virginia
• Frank Morris of Memphis, Tennessee
• David Westwood of Lakewood, California
• Gary Whitley of Kelso, Washington

The final deadline for the 2009-2010 call for artists was July 6.  There are three remaining AIP associate designer positions to be filled by the panel.

In the past, AIP artists have submitted successful designs for the 50 State Quarters ^® Program, American Eagle Platinum Coin Program, Presidential $1 Coin Program, First Spouse Gold Coin and Medal Program, America the Beautiful Quarters ^™ Program and others.

The AIP was specifically designed to develop and train a pool of talented external artists ready to work with the United States Mint's in-house staff of sculptor-engravers to create new coin and medal designs.  United States Mint Sculptor-Engravers model the designs submitted by the AIP artists.