Legendary Hollywood Costume Designer and Boys
& Girls Clubs of America Alumnus, Ruth
E. Carter, Unveils Virtual AR Experience Created to Inspire
Next Generation of Multicultural Artists
ATLANTA, Oct. 18,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Whether they create inside the
classroom or tour a museum exhibit, teens derive an undeniable
happiness from art, design, and creativity. As the brand that is
Here for Happy, Chips Ahoy! wants to help design a
world where all teens have the same opportunity to access
multicultural art and be inspired by two top passions: art and
creativity. Unfortunately, while 48 percent of teens identify as
persons of color1, only 15 percent of creative work in
museums is made by artists of color2. Because Chips
Ahoy! believes representation matters, today the brand
unveiled Happy by Design. It is a campaign to inspire change
featuring a national Augmented Reality (AR) experience. The AR
provides a national platform to highlight works of art created by
up-and-coming multicultural artists.
The Chips Ahoy! 'Happy By Design' campaign loops in two
organizations that share the brand's ethos. The first is
Atlanta's High Museum of
Art, where more than 62 percent of exhibitions from its most
recent fiscal year feature woman-identifying or female artists,
artists of color and LGBTQIA+ artists3. The second
is Boys & Girls Clubs of America which provides
young people with access to arts resources and programming designed
to foster creativity and encourage self-expression.
The immersive AR experience features artwork from eight aspiring
multicultural artists, including teens from Boys & Girls Clubs.
Anyone nationwide can view, interact and learn about the teens'
artwork virtually – anytime, anywhere. And every time their art is
viewed through this virtual experience Chips Ahoy! donates
$1 to fund arts programming, which
supports multicultural creativity.4
To demonstrate the AR experience and share the importance of
inspiring the next generation of multicultural artists, Chips
Ahoy! partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of America
and legendary Hollywood costume
designer and Boys & Girls Club alumnus and advocate,
Ruth E. Carter.
"Boys & Girls Clubs of America provided me the
opportunity to develop my passion for artistic expression at a
young age, which I was able to share with audiences around the
world through the power of film," said Carter. 'The 'Happy by
Design' AR experience provides other young artists with a national
platform to exhibit their creativity, and in turn, inspire future
generations of artists.'
The virtual experience can be accessed HERE. It features art
from the following teens:
- Langston Howard (Detroit, MI): Introduced to the world of
fashion in 2022 through Boys & Girls Club of Southeast Michigan, Langston's designs
celebrate Black power and identity and have already been recognized
on national stages including a recent feature at New York Fashion
Week.
- Amara Aleman
(Ridgewood, NJ): Based in
Rhode Island, Amara is an
up-and-coming content creator who loves to feature her vitiligo in
unique, artistic ways. Through highlighting her condition in an
uplifting and aesthetically pleasing manner, she encourages her
audiences to accept and celebrate their differences.
- Shawn Woodward (Detroit, MI): Another Southeast Michigan native and up-and-coming
fashion designer who found his passion for art through Boys
& Girls Clubs of America recently launched his own brand,
Skullxer, which was recently featured at New York Fashion
Week.
- Natalie Osborne (North Tulsa, OK): Growing up in the
historic Greenwood district of Tulsa, Natalie's art draws inspiration from
the community's resilience and pride. Creative self-expression
brings her happiness and provides an outlet to dream of future
endeavors.
- Sarah Inoue (Providence, RI): Sarah is a college
student and video creator who primarily creates art-related
content. She loves exploring different areas of art, such as makeup
and fashion and is always learning new ways to express herself in
ways that fit her personality.
- Ja'lyn Johnson
(Fort Stewart, GA): Living in
different cities and countries throughout her childhood, Ja'lyn has
always been inspired by the many landscapes, people and culture she
was introduced to. Her artwork is a colorful portrayal of how she
sees herself within world.
- Jordyn Williams (Wake Forest, NC): Current Boys & Girls
Club member, has always had an interest in art. Jordyn continues to
explore and expand her knowledge in various mediums. She plans to
pursue a business interest in creative design, as well as a career
in engineering.
- Amari Jones (Atlanta, GA): Amari is an Actress, Dancer,
Creative Director, and Screenwriter who recently graduated from the
Savannah College of Arts and Design
where she majored in Performing Arts. Looking to the future, Amari
's ultimate goal is to produce her own television shows and movies
one day.
The Happy by Design Program is part of a $1MM pledge from Chips
Ahoy! over three years to fund arts programming at Boys &
Girls Clubs of America. The pledge drives awareness to
communities where arts programs have been defunded. Through this
commitment, Chips Ahoy! wants to ensure more teens have
access to the tools, resources and inspiration to pursue their
artistic passion, and in turn, find their happy place.
"At Chips Ahoy!, we're proud to champion multicultural artists
and give them an opportunity to share their inspiring creativity
with the world, because a world filled with diverse art brings
happiness to not only those who design it, but those that enjoy it
as well," said Sabrina, Senior Director for the Chips Ahoy!
Brand.
In addition to the national AR experience, visitors to the
High Museum of Art can use the AR experience inside the
museum to see this vision come to life on gallery walls. For
everyone who uses the filter inside the museum, Chips Ahoy!
will donate an additional $1 to the
museum and its ongoing efforts to champion multicultural
artists.5 The filter further demonstrates the
museum's mission to champion inclusion for all in the arts, which
in turn has led to a 240 percent increase between 2015-2020 in
visitations from members of the BIPOC community.6
For more information on Chips Ahoy!'s efforts to champion
multicultural artists as part of being Here for Happy, follow the
brand on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @ChipsAhoy.
About Mondelēz International
Mondelēz International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MDLZ) empowers people to
snack right in over 150 countries around the world. With 2021net
revenues of approximately $29 billion, MDLZ is leading the
future of snacking with iconic global and local brands such
as Oreo, belVita and LU biscuits; Cadbury
Dairy Milk, Milka and Toblerone chocolate;
Sour Patch Kids candy and Trident gum.
Mondelēz International is a proud member of the Standard and Poor's
500, Nasdaq 100 and Dow Jones Sustainability Index.
Visit www.mondelezinternational.com or follow the company
on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MDLZ.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than
160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America
(BGCA.org) has provided a safe place for kids and teens to
learn and grow. Clubs offer caring adult mentors, fun and
friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily
basis during critical non-school hours. Boys & Girls Clubs
programming promotes academic success, good character and
leadership, and healthy lifestyles. Over 5,200 Clubs serve 3.3
million young people through Club membership and community
outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on
Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in
BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations
worldwide. The national headquarters is located in Atlanta. Learn more about Boys & Girls
Clubs of America on Facebook and X
(formerly Twitter).
About the High Museum of Art
Located in the heart of Atlanta,
the High Museum of Art connects with audiences from across the
Southeast and around the world through its distinguished
collection, dynamic schedule of special exhibitions and engaging
programs, all of which aim to reflect the ever-growing diversity of
its community. Housed within facilities designed by Pritzker
Prize-winning architects Richard
Meier and Renzo Piano, the
High features a collection of more than 19,000 works of art with an
increasing range of artists represented in its African, American,
Decorative Arts and Design, European, Folk and Self-Taught, Modern
and Contemporary and Photography departments. The High is dedicated
to reflecting the diversity of its communities and offering a
variety of exhibitions and educational programs that engage
visitors with the world of art, the lives of artists and the
creative process. Visit www.high.org for general information
and visit www.high.org/art-inclusion to learn more about the
High's commitment to inclusivity.
1 Pew Research Center
2 National Library of Medicine
3 High Museum of Art 'Art & Inclusion' Report
(2015-2023)
4 Combined donation to Boys & Girls Clubs of
America and High Museum of Art up to $15,000
5 Combined donation to Boys & Girls Clubs of
America and High Museum of Art up to $15,000
6 High Museum of Art 'Art & Inclusion' Report
(2015-2023)
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SOURCE Chips Ahoy!