This year over 10 local artists submitted designs for the official 2006 Second Annual Asian Heritage Street Celebration poster contest. After careful consideration of each design, the review committee selected Al Perez as this year's winner.

"Al's poster stood out with its colorful design and sophisticated style.  The design does an excellent job at capturing the diversity of our community through use of cultural symbols," said Ly Nguyen, Executive Director of the Kearny Street Workshop.

Perez's poster used various illustrations to represent the different Asian groups - Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Filipino, Indian, Korean, Cambodian, Laotian, etc.  The various shades of red shapes form the number 2, to highlight and emphasize the second year of the fair. "This poster is a tapestry of images that celebrates the diversity of the Asian community in the San Francisco Bay Area," said Perez. "The patchwork concept symbolizes the idea that each community is unique and distinct, yet they form a rich, vibrant and harmonious whole when they are brought together - as this Festival aspires to accomplish." 

Perez is a graduate of San Jose State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Graphic Design. He has over 16 years experience providing quality graphics for clients including Apple Computers, Blue Shield of California, Charles Schwab, Foster Farms, Freightliner, Oracle and Sun Microsystems. He is the founder of Creative i Studio, which specializes in innovative and intelligent design solutions for corporate events and corporate identity programs. Prior to launching Creative i Studio, he served as Creative Director at The Meeting Architects, a creative marketing company which specializes in planning and executing customer events, meetings and incentive travel programs.

He also keeps active in the Filipino American community by being involved in various non-profit organizations and community events. As President of the Filipino American Arts Exposition, he leads a core staff and an army of volunteers in the artistic, planning and logistic execution of their annual projects and community events.

All poster entries can be viewed online at www.AsianFairSF.com.