SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- Savvy collectors, directors of leading fine art galleries, employers searching for superior creative talent, and passionate art enthusiasts all converge each May for the Academy of Art University’s display of fresh, award-winning art. Whether for scouting, purchasing, or pure admiring, the thousands of visitors to the Annual Spring Show all come to be inspired.

The Academy of Art University and its President, Dr. Elisa Stephens, are delighted to announce the 2009 Annual Spring Show will open on Thursday, May 21, 2009 in San Francisco. AAU has a nationwide reputation for innovation through expanding its curriculum to include new technology and industry trends, while staying true to its foundation in fine art. Each year the school graduates an extraordinary class of fine artists who have mastered their craft and elevated their artistry in painting, sculpture, and works on paper. The sheer breadth of talent on view at the Annual Spring Show has made it the west coast’s most highly anticipated event for discovering exceptional emerging artists.

With accomplishments ranging from coveted public sculpture commissions to awards at such sought-after juried competitions as the Oil Painters of America’s National Juried Exhibition, Academy of Art University School of Fine Art BFA and MFA graduates continue to create spectacular contributions to the international contemporary art market. Recent AAU Annual Spring Show top fine art painting award-winners Greg Gandy, Zin Lim, Jeremy Mann, Daniel Ochoa, Eddie Rodriguez, Hsin-Yao Tseng, John Wentz, and Zack Zdrale earned representation at such leading galleries as Hang Art in San Francisco; Horizon Fine Art Gallery in Jackson, WY; the John Pence Gallery in San Francisco; Ella Richardson Fine Art in Charleston, SC; Waterhouse Gallery in Santa Barbara, CA; and the Wendt Gallery in Laguna Beach, CA. Striking achievements by 2008 fine art sculpture stand-outs include Adam Reeder showcasing his artwork at the Loveland Sculpture Invitational last summer and David Sekoll exhibiting in the Surge: SNAG Juried Student Exhibition in Savannah, GA.