SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 04/28/09 -- "The good news is that you can drive down San Pablo Avenue and see 30-foot-high inflatable vulcanized rubber gorillas extolling you to 'buy green.' Yes, we have now achieved full market saturation of the idea that we all need to be leading more sustainable lives," says Phil Hamlett, Graduate Director, School of Graphic Design, Academy of Art University.

"The bad news is that someone's idea of how to be sustainable calls for a 30-foot-high inflatable vulcanized rubber gorilla -- so you know that we haven't really learned to embrace sustainable principles in a meaningful fashion," he adds. That's what Hamlett and his MFA students have set out to do.

Sustaining San Francisco is a multidisciplinary design challenge to focus student energy on this dilemma. Convinced that the power of design can make a difference, Design Ignites Change is partnering with the Academy of Art University Graduate School of Graphic Design to conceive and execute projects around the theme of sustainability that are relevant to the greater San Francisco community. Working alongside other Academy of Art University MFA departments (fashion, industrial design and photography), graphic design students will showcase Bay Area innovations while simultaneously envisioning additional possibilities for a greener future to which we can all aspire. Design Ignites Change is an initiative of Adobe Youth Voices and Worldstudio.

"The revolution will be biodegradable," says Hamlett. "Stay tuned for further developments."

The related announcement by Design Ignites Change can be found at: http://designigniteschange.org/news/18-academy-of-art-university-is-sustaining-san-francisco-with-_design-ignites-change_

About Academy of Art University, San Francisco

With over 13,000 students, Academy of Art University is the nation's largest private art and design university. Established in 1929, the school offers accredited AA, BA, BFA, MA, M.Arch and MFA programs in 14 different majors, as well as continuing art education with classes in copywriting, fashion merchandising, interior design, new media, computer animation, sculpture, graphic design, cinematography, industrial design, digital photography and car design. Multimedia Communications is the school's newest major, offering BA and MA degrees. Students can also enroll in a flexible online degree program in art and design.

Academy of Art University is an accredited member of WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges), NASAD, Council for Interior Design Accreditation (BFA-IAD) and NAAB (M-ARCH).

For more information, visit www.academyart.edu or call 1-800-544-2787.

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