AVON, OH -- (Marketwire) -- 12/11/12 -- Attention all Andy Warhol wannabes! Duck Tape® brand duct tape announces its sponsorship of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program and largest source of scholarships for creative teenagers in the United States, presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.

Students in grades 7-12 can join the ranks of Awards alumni like Richard Avedon, Robert Redford, Zac Posen, Sylvia Plath and Andy Warhol by entering their work in any of the Awards' 27 categories -- such as poetry, painting, sculpture, fashion design and photography -- for a chance to earn recognition, cash awards and scholarships.

This year, Duck Tape® has partnered with the Scholastic Awards to offer two new opportunities for students within their Mixed Media category, which challenges participants to create a piece of artwork using more than one medium, typically containing a three-dimensional component. The Duck Tape® Mixed Media Award will grant a $500 prize to five works in the Mixed Media Category, chosen by Duck® brand from a pool of National Gold Medal Scholastic Award winners.

While using Duck Tape® is not a requirement of the Mixed Media category in general, a second award, the Duck Tape® Brand Award, will provide a special $500 award for one work created using Duck Tape®. For inspirational ideas, students can visit the Awards' website and the Duck Tape® Facebook and Pinterest pages.

"With more than 150 colors and prints available, Duck Tape® has become more than just a simple home repair tool -- it's become a hugely popular design medium used for crafting, fashions and more," says Scott Sommers, director of marketing for DIY Tapes with ShurTech Brands, LLC, the marketers of Duck® brand duct tape. "Students continue to share their unique Duck Tape® creations on our social media pages, so we wanted to find a way to reward them for putting their imagination and ingenuity to use. We're proud to partner with the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and the Alliance to encourage the creative thinking and innovation that we value so highly as an organization."

The 90th annual call for submissions for the Scholastic Awards is currently open with deadlines varying by region (December 15, 2012 through January 15, 2013). Students can find additional details and submit their work at www.artandwriting.org. National Award winners will be announced in spring 2013.

All works must be submitted at www.artandwriting.org, but to get inspired by other Duck Tape® creations or share your masterpiece, visit www.duckbrand.com.

THE ALLIANCE FOR YOUNG ARTISTS & WRITERS
The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, identifies teenagers with exceptional artistic and literary talent and brings their remarkable work to a national audience through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Founded in 1923, the Awards program is the longest-running, most prestigious initiative of its kind, having fostered the creativity and talent of millions of students through recognition, exhibitions and publication opportunities. Over the past five years, students have submitted nearly 700,000 pieces of work and over $25 million has been made available in scholarships and awards to top winning participants. The Alliance partners with more than 110 regional affiliates across the country to bring the program to local communities, and works with a network of more than 60 colleges and universities to provide scholarship and award opportunities. In partnership with the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Alliance has also announced the inaugural class of the National Student Poets Program, the nation's highest honor for young poets, which is open exclusively to winners of national Scholastic Awards in poetry. More information about the Alliance and its programs can be found at www.artandwriting.org.

DUCK TAPE® BRAND DUCT TAPE
An American original, Duck® brand is known for its quality and innovation, which now includes a vibrant assortment of many colors, prints and licenses. Duck Tape® brand duct tape is available nationally at mass merchandise, craft, hardware, home center, food, drug, office, auto and specialty retailers in colors like aqua, fluorescent green, pink, orange and yellow, and prints such as Mustache, Graffiti and Zig-Zag.

Duck Tape® is marketed by ShurTech Brands, LLC, and the Duck® brand, which offers an array of tapes, packaging supplies and home products that provide simple, imaginative and helpful solutions for a variety of tasks around the home, school and office. Visit DuckBrand.com for additional product information. And, keep up-to-date on Duck® brand news by joining our more than five million fans on Facebook® (facebook.com/ducktape), following us on Twitter® (@theduckbrand), following our boards on Pinterest® (pinterest.com/theduckbrand) or watching us on YouTube® (youtube.com/theduckbrand).

SHURTECH BRANDS, LLC
ShurTech Brands, LLC, markets do-it-yourself tapes, office and housewares products under the Duck®, FrogTape®, Painter's Mate Green®, Caremail®, Easy Liner® and Shurtape® brands. The company is a subsidiary of Shurtape Technologies, LLC, Hickory, N.C., an industry-leading producer of pressure sensitive masking, duct, packaging and specialty tape products, with facilities in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, Peru, United Arab Emirates and China. Shurtape services numerous markets, including industrial, packaging, HVAC, professional paint, auto, marine, aerospace, arts and entertainment, and retail. Shurtape also manufactures and markets the Shurtape® and Kip® brands. Visit ShurTech.com for more information.

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