Those who think art serves no purpose in life ought to look at the Design Against Fur poster contest. The second annual competition, like the first, is looking to combat the cruelty of the fur industry by changing people's attitudes via creative design campaigns.

With that in mind, Design Against Fur organizers are now accepting registrations from college and university-level art and design students in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia and Asia Pacific. The winner of each region will receive a cash prize of $1,000 U.S. (or the equivalent in the winner's currency). Second and third place finishers will also receive cash prizes. The grand prize of $5,000 U.S. will be awarded to the international winner at a ceremony in Paris.

Students from each region can register online at the Fur Free Alliance web site. Deadline for registration is Monday, March 1, in the United States, Canada, and Europe; it is Monday, March 22, in the Australia and the Asian Pacific region. (The deadline for the United Kingdom and Ireland was January 21, 2004.) The deadline for artwork submission is Thursday, April 1, in the United States and Europe, and Friday, April 30, in Australia, Asia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.

Last year's inaugural Design Against Fur contest was a huge success: Hundreds of design students from the United States and Europe participated. So popular was the contest that this year it has been expanded to include students in Australia and Canada.

Internationally renowned fashion designer Todd Oldham will once again be a judge in the U.S. round. Oldham, a long-time opponent of the use of fur, describes the Design Against Fur contest as a "forum for young, up-and-coming art and design students to put their creative talents to work on behalf of animals."

The Message

This year, the contest will focus on fur trim. Trim has become a growing concern to the anti-fur community because the number of animals killed each year for trim will soon outnumber those killed for full-fur garments. Already, 90% of foxes killed for fur are used for trim. Aware that people's concern for animals has decreased the demand for fur garments, the fur industry has begun aggressively marketing trim. Many consumers may not even be aware that the fur trim on their coats and accessories is real.

In the United States, a loophole in the federal Fur Products Labeling Act allows products priced under $150 to be exempt from consumer-protection provisions. Canada and European nations have similarly lax fur-labeling laws. To make matters more confusing, fur trim now comes in many variations of color, texture, and style. Sometimes even salespeople will not be able to tell a customer if the fur trim is real or fake.

The designs in this year's contest should convey the following message about fur trim: "When you buy or wear fur trim you are contributing to the pain and suffering of animals. Consumers have the power to stop the killing of animals for fur trim. Buying garments with fur trim is unnecessary and unfashionable in this modern age."

The Goal of the Contest

The Fur Free Alliance (FFA), an international coalition of 35 animal protection organizations (including The HSUS), is hoping that the Design Against Fur competition will help re-define what is fashionable by making future graphic designers and advertisers aware of the insidious nature of fur trim. Last year's participants reported that their research into the fur industry opened their eyes to the many cruelties behind fur. The FFA hopes that the current participants will be similarly enlightened. Already, the participating organizations have heard from many students inquiring about fur industry practices.

For more information about the contest, visit the Fur Free Alliance web site .