Tony
12th December 2003, 07:23 AM
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,105520,00.html ..full article
Art can "change" the country — at least that's what the U.S. Mint is hoping.
The Mint is calling on all Americans, from aspiring artists and students to professionals, to share their fresh ideas — and possibly get the chance to have their work circulated throughout the country in the form of coins and medals.
While some may consider change "spare," millions of collectors who appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship that go into each coin helped to spark the idea for the program, called the Artistic Infusion Program.
"Americans have been asking for many years if we would consider coin redesign," said Mint director Henrietta Holsman Fore. "We're hoping to encourage a new generation of artists to design in this medium."
The experience of seeing one's own work minted into a coin is "quite special," according to Dean McMullen, a Portland, Ore.-based artist who has had five of his designs coined by the U.S. Mint, including one featured on the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center commemorative half-dollar created in 2001.
Art can "change" the country — at least that's what the U.S. Mint is hoping.
The Mint is calling on all Americans, from aspiring artists and students to professionals, to share their fresh ideas — and possibly get the chance to have their work circulated throughout the country in the form of coins and medals.
While some may consider change "spare," millions of collectors who appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship that go into each coin helped to spark the idea for the program, called the Artistic Infusion Program.
"Americans have been asking for many years if we would consider coin redesign," said Mint director Henrietta Holsman Fore. "We're hoping to encourage a new generation of artists to design in this medium."
The experience of seeing one's own work minted into a coin is "quite special," according to Dean McMullen, a Portland, Ore.-based artist who has had five of his designs coined by the U.S. Mint, including one featured on the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center commemorative half-dollar created in 2001.