THIS YEAR'S CONTEST IS NOW OPEN  

What does the future look like? Are cities built in the clouds? Is it a place where everyone gets along - even cats and dogs? Or maybe a world where nobody ever gets sick? With the Google homepage as their canvas, young artists are invited to reach into their imagination and share what they see for the future.

The winner’s artwork will be featured on the Google homepage.
https://doodles.google.com/d4g/index.html

Check out the gallery for inspiration: https://www.google.com/doodles/

Deadline is Dec. 2, 2016

By Vanessa Ovian
​BHS Art Hosts Well-Known Architect and Designer as Visiting Artist The Burlington High School Art Department will host well-known architect and designer Benjamin Uyeda on Friday, November 4, as a visiting artist for its students in architecture, art and business classes. The visit will give students an opportunity to hear how he combines architecture and sustainable design with marketing to create a thriving social media based business.

A graduate of Cornell University with Bachelor and Master degrees in Architecture, Uyeda is co-founder of ZeroEnergy Design, a modern green architecture and mechanical design firm, FreeGreen.com, a web based media company that distributes green home designs over the internet, and HomeMade Modern, an online design source that publishes easy-to-follow, DIY recipes for creating modern home furnishings. In his own words,

Uyeda was raised in a “family with limited financial resources where design was a way to transform mundane ingredients into something special,” crediting his mother who instilled the idea that even though there may be limited resources, there is always access to new things and experiences. Benjamin Uyeda’s career began as a designer of high performance, sustainable homes that produced as much energy as they used. The reality, however, was that these homes were often expensive, second homes for clients, and as a designer he felt the need to be creating not catering. With that in mind he founded HomeMade Modern, a digital media based business that now boasts over 11 million worldwide views in over 50 countries. He is sponsored by Home Depot, Ryobi and Quikrete, has authored HomeMade Modern, Smart DIY Designs for a Stylish Home, and can be found on a number of social media sites including Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Buzzfeed. Benjamin

Uyeda’s visit to Burlington High School is facilitated by faculty member Christina Chang who teaches Intro to Architecture. Developed in response to student requests for studies in architecture, landscape and interior design, the full year course provides an opportunity for advanced art students to acquire a knowledge of these fields through a variety of learning experiences. Among those experiences are exposure to visiting artists such as Uyeda whose charismatic style will undoubtedly raise the level of interest and excitement among the students. “Ben's work is much more than just sustainability,” states Chang. “He has approached design and idea sharing in a new way that is accessible and appropriate for this media and tech-savvy group of students.”

Recognizing that Benjamin Uyeda’s expertise goes far beyond the designer’s creativity, Chang reached out to Krista Anderson, a marketing teacher in the Business and Information Technology department of Burlington High School. “I always welcome every opportunity to expose my marketing students to a variety of jobs and careers,” comments Anderson. “I immediately saw great synergy with what we'll be covering in my marketing classes . . . discussing how to use social media to reach audiences, spread message and create interest.”

The visiting artist program at Burlington High School is an integral part of the Art Department. In addition to the visit by Benjamin Uyeda, past guest speakers have included Pixar artist and alumnus Erik Langley, landscape painter Arnie Casavant, printmaker Randy Garber and painter Lei-Sanne Do. Additionally, the department hosts an annual Alumni Day, a homecoming for alumni that provides yet another opportunity for students to look at career possibilities as they approach the college years. To learn more about the designs of Benjamin Uyeda, visit www.HomeMadeModern.com, watch his TEDx talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glPmxeVMgyg, and follow him on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+, Instagram and Buzzfeed. 

Special Thanks to Alum Erik Langley for sharing his story. It was a huge benefit for students to learn from him and learn about the movie making process. 

Erik told students about his path to Pixar:
"Growing up in Massachusetts, I always remember a career in movies, tv or animation seeming like it was just a pipe dream and out of grasp.  But during college I developed a passion for the industry and after graduation, made my way out to the SF Bay Area to search for an entry level job.  I've been in the industry for 12 years now."