ArtCenter Hosts Pasadena Unified High Schools for Sneakers and Cream Design Contest in Celebration of Black History Month

ArtCenter College of Design hosted students from five Pasadena High Schools for “Sneakers and Cream,” a shoe design contest where students used their original artwork to create custom-designed sneakers. This art and design contest was held in celebration of Black History Month.

Pasadena City Councilman Tyron Hampton, known for wearing sneakers with his suits, served as one of the design contest judges.

Each student contestant used a classic white sneaker as a blank canvas to create a custom, hand-painted, or sculpted art piece on the surface of the sneaker silhouette. The artwork can be comprised of three aspects: historical expression, social expression, and artistic expression. Contestants submitted a finished design on both the right and left shoe. Each student design submission was accompanied by a student bio and written narrative describing their custom art piece.

Among those leading the event was ArtCenter Product Design alum and associate professor Roosevelt “Rose” Brown, a footwear and product designer. His 25-year career includes designing the action figure based on Toy Story’s Buzz Lightyear and sneakers for Puma, Dada, Speedo, Brooks, and Nike.

“As one of the world’s premier art and design institutions, ArtCenter touches and cultivates the creative culture of the youth in our backyard,” said Brown. “It is a personal mandate of mine to help provide greater awareness of “the power of design and the creative economy,” especially in underrepresented communities of color.”

“Attending and graduating from the ArtCenter College of Design (Product 95) profoundly changed my life,” added Brown. “I want that same transformative impact for every Black and Brown creative in Pasadena and the Los Angeles area.”

Vice President of the Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Dr. Aaron Bruce noted, “Building equitable pathways to careers in the creative economy is important to our campus community. This event represents one of many ways to inspire the next generation of diverse creative problem solvers.”

The first prize was awarded to Phoebe Prentice from Pasadena High School for the composition named “Leadership, Acceptance, Resistance, and Performance.” The work encompasses all three aspects of expression while celebrating four Black queer feminist pioneers.

Contestant Milana Malykhina from Rose City High School was awarded second prize for her heart-throbbing composition “Sweet Tooth,” depicting a toxic relationship.

The artwork “Unity,” designed by Min Seon, evokes the heartbeat of a community united in rhythmic harmony while mirroring diverse experiences. The composition was a tie for third, with the work contrived by Kira Bruson from John Muir High School depicting three significant Black social movement leaders.

Each winner received a scholarship to attend a future ArtCenter ACX teen class, a pair of brand sneakers, and art supplies. Lalaland Design has also offered to sponsor an incubator program for contestants to help produce their shoe design and make it a reality.

Other participating Pasadena Unified School District schools included Blair High School, Marshall Fundamental, and John Muir High School.

The contest reinforced concepts of graphic design and product design – both potential career pathways for designers and creators. Through this experience, participating students were introduced to ArtCenter’s Bachelor of Science degree in Product Design, which equips graduates to create functional, relevant, and appealing products.

“Sneakers and Cream” is inspired by Sneaker Con, an annual sneaker convention held in major cities across the U.S. and abroad. A sizable percentage of its participants are African American. The business of custom and collectible sneakers, “Buy and Resale,” has exploded within Black youth culture. This sneaker art contest taps into this relevant trend in youth culture.

ArtCenter Chair of Product Design Babette Strousse, who was a former director at Nike, and adjunct faculty member and industry expert Safir Bellali, along with the former vice president of Vans and Royal Elastics Michael Jonte, also served as judges for the contest.

The Sneakers & Cream contest was held at ArtCenter’s Bruce Heavin and Lynda Weinman Alumni Center at its 1111 Arroyo Parkway building. The Alumni Center’s high-tech video wall was used to showcase past graduates’ work and sneaker designs.

About ArtCenter: Founded in 1930 and located in Pasadena, California, ArtCenter College of Design is a global leader in art and design education. ArtCenter offers 11 undergraduate and 10 graduate degrees in a variety of industrial design disciplines as well as in a range of visual and applied arts. In addition to its top-ranked academic programs, the College serves members of the Greater Los Angeles region through a highly regarded series of year-round extension programs for all ages and levels of experience. Renowned for both its ties to industry and its social impact initiatives.

ArtCenter is the first design school to receive the United Nations’ Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) status in recognition of its commitment to social impact design through Designmatters. Throughout the College’s long and storied history, ArtCenter alumni have had a profound impact on popular culture, the way we live and important issues in our society.