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“The opportunity to connect with our community and showcase their talent is a highlight for me and the entire CorelDRAW team,” said John Falsetto, Senior Product Manager for CorelDRAW. “I am always amazed when the submissions start pouring in. It is truly inspiring to see the creativity, versatility and incredible skill of our CorelDRAW community. With so much talent, selecting our winners is not always easy, but it is definitely an exciting process.”

“On behalf of everyone on the Corel team, I’d like to congratulate our winners and extend a sincere thank you to all of our participants and to the partners who so generously provided prizes for this year’s Design Contest,” added Falsetto.

Celebrated for its versatility, power and flexibility, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is used across a wide range of industries and design disciplines. The CorelDRAW International Design Contest recognizes outstanding work in the following categories: Advertising & Marketing, Signs/Awards/Pesonalization, Vehicle Wraps, Textile/Fashion Design, General Illustration/Fine Art, CorelDRAW Marketing Campaign.

• Grand Prize Winner – Joseph Diaz, United States

• Advertising/Marketing – Joseph Diaz, United States

• Signs/Awards/Personalization – Aleksey Oglushevich, Russia

• Vehicle Wraps – Fabio Selani, Brazil

• Textile/Fashion Design – Dhananjay Garg, India

• General Illustration/Fine Art – Alexandra Malysheva, Ukraine

• CorelDRAW Marketing Campaign – Sandra Berenice, Mexico

Three winners plus the top student entry from each category will receive a valuable prize package including selected products from Roland®, Wilcom®, Euro-Systems®, Digital Designware, Apple®, Digital Art Solutions, Wacom®, Canon®, HP, Seagate® and Corel®. Joseph Diaz, the grand prize winner will also receive a Roland® VersaCAMM™ SP-300i printer/cutter (valued at approx. $13,495 USD).

“I am honored that my design was chosen and extremely thankful for the opportunity to compete against so many talented Corel users from all over the world,” said Joseph Diaz, Grand Prize Winner and owner of Diaz Sign Art. “I have been using CorelDRAW to work on design projects for our family owned sign shop for years. It is so approachable and user friendly, yet I find myself still learning new things all these years later.”

“I never would have guessed back when I was starting out that the same design software I used to play around on for fun, would one day be such a huge part of how I make my living,” added Diaz. “And my new Roland® VersaCAMM™ SP-300i printer will be right at home in my design studio and will be put to work every single day.”

The judging panel for the CorelDRAW International Design Contest included members of the media, partners, CorelDRAW community members and Corel employees. A complete list of winners and their artwork is available on the Corel web site. For more information about CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5, please visit www.corel.com/coreldraw.

Taken From a CorelDRAW Press Release.

“We would like to notify you and congratulate you that you have been chosen to receive the Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award,” Russell told them. The mayor added that the Diaz Family is one of 40 recipients statewide to receive the award.

“We’re all very humbled by everything,” Ben Diaz said, and they are proud to call Pontiac their home.

Russell, who nominated the Diazes, told them a little about Studs Terkel, who died on Oct. 31, 2008. Terkel was a “colorful and controversial” Chicago radio personality and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer recipient. The Diazes are expected to receive notification from the Illinois Humanities Council by the end of the week.

A press release stated that Jane and Bill Diaz and their sons, Joe and Ben, are leaders among Pontiac artists. They are honored for devoting their collective energies to public art projects such as “Art of Mainstreet” and the Walldogs Festival, which promote and appreciate Pontiac art, history and culture. They have also been honored for their involvement in other aspects of the community.

“Bill has served as a volunteer coach with the city’s youth football program and has worked with our local theater group, painting sets for many of their productions. Jane is a valued member of the Pontiac Public Library board of trustees, and currently serves as its board vice president, volunteered as a children’s story time leader, advocate of childhood literacy and life-long adult learning programs,” according to the release.

Ben Diaz serves as a co-president of the non-profit organization for the 4-H Park Henry Street Horrors. Joe Diaz is also a member of Henry Street Horrors, participates in the Pontiac Chamber of Commerce Young Professional and downtown redevelopment design.

The family is expected to receive an engraved medal of recognition struck by the Medallic Art Co., the country’s oldest and largest private mint, according to www.prairie.org for the Illinois Humanitarian Council.

This is the third honor for the Diaz family this year. In August, the family was honored as Pontiac Rotary Club’s Citizens of the Year and served as grand marshals for the Threshermen’s Reunion Parade.

This story originally appeared in the Pontiac Daily Leader.

The Diaz family, owners of Diaz Sign Art in Pontiac, was named the Pontiac Rotary Citizen of the Year and also selected as grand marshals for the annual Threshermen’s Reunion Parade.

Lori Fairfield, executive director of Pontiac Redeveloping Our United Downtown, said it was the first time the rotary club has given the award to a family and not a specific person.

“They are very well qualified and deserving of this,” she said.

Fairfield said the Diaz family, Bill, his wife, Jane, and sons Ben and Joe, was instrumental in getting the Walldogs to come to the community last June to paint several murals in the downtown area.

Fairfield said that foot traffic has been “amazing” since the murals were completed and it has been a boost to the city’s economic development and tourism opportunities. Fairfield also said that because of the murals and the improved tourism, local building owners have also invested thousands more dollars into the downtown area.

Robin Kindelberger, administrative assistant for the Pontiac Area Chamber of Commerce, said that the family will also be grand marshals for the upcoming 61st annual Threshermen’s Reunion parade. The chamber has a committee which determines who will be the grand marshal, and Kindelberger said that the family received the highest number of nomination letters and telephone calls that they have ever had. The parade is scheduled for Sept. 6.

“It’s overwhelming,” Jane Diaz said. “It’s pretty cool and we are all really excited about this. It’s an honor, but we wish we could load up the whole town . . . as everybody did so much and were really wonderful.”

Read more: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/article_a15b9efc-878c-11de-ab11-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1ZMyuZriq

You see, we weren’t all that surprised at the generosity and hard work the artist put forth. We have worked side by side with these great people before and have seen first hand what they are truly capable of, and now Pontiac has witnessed what we already knew. However, we were surprised at how many artist registered and came to our city. So surprised that we had to add an extra project, at the last minute, so that there would be plenty of wall space for everyone.

We worried that because of the state of the economy, many Walldogs, might take a year off, especially since these artist come from all over the globe, and traveling or shutting down your shop for the week can be difficult during these times. But they didn’t let that stop them, that is just the type of quality people we are talking about. The fact that even during tough times people can come together and do something good, was great to see and be a part of.

What we were also blown away by, was the support from the community. I have seen our town of roughly 12,000 pitch in during a flood or major storm or fight to stop a major employer from closing, but to pitch in by providing homes for the artist to stay in, or bringing in cans and rags for painting was pretty amazing. I don’t think I have ever seen our downtown that alive as I did the weekend the Walldogs came to town. And the fact that it was an art event, made it that much sweeter.

It seemed like the stars aligned and people were in the mood to paint and have a good time.

Go to pontiacmurals.com to see photos from the event.
If you haven’t heard of the Walldogs before, check out this site.

Also In the News

Pontiac family named citizens of year, will lead parade

‘Walldogs’ to make mark in Pontiac

Pontiac Summer Bash an ‘absolute success’

Pontiac brings in thousands for summer event

Walldogs paint Pontiac

Festivals have a bigger role in tough economy

Walldogs already at work in downtown Pontiac

Traveling artists will decorate downtown Pontiac with 18 murals

Murals drawing attraction

City has gone to the Dogs

Walldogs hit the ground running

Walldogs are on the job

Getting ready for the Walldogs

Many may be playing dog catcher

Walldogs Announce Mystery Mural

Franks dedicates mural

Karls Auction brings in approximately $17000

Walldogs leave a mess(age)

Administrator happy with event

60 minutes of fame

Mural has special meaning to Rodinos

Car trouble doesn’t keep dog away

Allen Company mural Walldog happy to be in Pontiac

Community Pantry plans donation day

Diazes receive multiple honors

The goal was simple at first: to create the worlds largest Route 66 shield. Our local Route 66 museum officials and the head of tourism commissioned us to design and paint this monster. The Mother Road is already a big tourist attraction and we are fortunate to be on it, in between Chicago and St. Louis, so it was only natural that our town capitalize on this and learn from other communities and their successes with Route 66 attractions.

Shortly after the mural was completed, the city quickly paved the area in front of the mural with actual Route 66 road bricks. The mural now acts as a photo opportunity. Most of the time people park their cars in front of the wall for a photo. The mother road is a great way for foreign tourist to really experience the heart of our country… to see cities, farms, small towns, national parks, and other scenery. It is the best way to truly have the American Experience. And when they return home with photos to show their friends and family, you can almost guarantee one might be in front of large Route 66 shield with the name of our town wrapped around it. What better way to let people know that Pontiac is worth the stop.

The head of tourism and the Route 66 museum noticed an increase in activity after the mural was completed and ever since have done a great job of promoting it. The mural was even recognized in one of General Motor’s semi annual publication advertising their Pontiac Line up.