Lucerne®, Safeway's Exclusive Dairy Brand, Announces Finalists In Seventh Annual Lucerne® The Art Of Dairy™ Art Contest

PLEASANTON, Calif., Feb. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Lucerne®, Safeway Inc.'s exclusive dairy brand, congratulated the nine finalists chosen to compete for a $30,000 grand prize in the Seventh Annual Lucerne® The Art of Dairy™ Art Contest. For the first time, the finalists were announced via a live post on Facebook and at www.artofdairy.com.

The nine finalists will now transfer their designs onto an unconventional canvas – a life-sized fiberglass cow. Beginning April 16, America will vote for their favorite cow and determine the winning artist in the contest that joins nutrition with artistic talent and ingenuity.

Since the inception of the Art of Dairy™ contest in 2005, Lucerne has contributed over $327,000 to schools, teachers, and students. This year, more than 9,200 entries were received from schools across the country.

Lucerne® has been providing students with a wide variety of wholesome dairy products for more than a century. Nourishment before, during, and after school not only feeds the body, but it also helps fuel creative minds. The Lucerne brand is proud to be committed to promoting the creative growth of young artists, supporting their talents and helping underfunded art programs in schools.

About the Contest

Leveraging a new theme – "Red, White, & Moo" – students were challenged to illustrate what American ingenuity means to them by incorporating Lucerne dairy products on a cow-shaped template. An elite panel of judges reviewed the thousands of entries received and selected nine finalists who will transfer their designs on to life-sized fiberglass cow sculptures. Once the finalists have completed their works, America will decide the winner via online and mobile voting from April 16 thru May 15, 2012. The finalist cows will be on display in stores in April, and winners will be announced in early June. In addition, as part of a new Teacher Incentive Program, the school with the most entries will win $1,000 for their art department. The entries are being tabulated and the winning school will be announced in early February.

In February and March, Safeway's Facebook and YouTube pages will chronicle the artistic process of each of the finalists. These videos will allow the talented young artists to express how art has impacted their lives and its importance to their schools. The pages will also include feature stories on how past winners have used their winnings to keep their art programs thriving.