One thing I love about BEARPAW is that they are always trying to find ways to support communities all across the country. Their latest endeavor is “Creative Expressions by BEARPAW” which officially launched January 16th. Through collaborations with individuals and communities throughout the year, the campaign is a celebration of self-expression and individuality through artistic expression.

“We’ve always considered our company to be an incubator for creativity. At BEARPAW, we encourage our team to bring innovative concepts, designs and ideas to the table and as a result, we’ve kept the brand ahead of the pack,” … that’s from Randy McKinley, VP of Global Marketing and all around nice guy.

To kick off the Creative Expressions campaign, BEARPAW launched the C.A.N.V.A.S.  Project which stands for Creating a New Vision at Schools.  “We see this as a way to help and support the arts in school, which has seen tremendous cuts over the past few years.” Randy explains, “We also hope to expose these students to the footwear industry…an industry they may not have thought of before as an opportunity or vision for the future.”

CANVAS Project - Designed Emma Boots

Here’s how it works – schools are chosen from a pool of nominees each quarter, the first being Spring-Ford High School in Royersford, PA.  Then BEARPAW ships the Emma Boots to the junior and senior students in the art department where they can let their creative juices flow and design the boots however they wish. As you can see, the results so far are pretty amazing.

The completed boot designs will go on the road with BEARPAW to major trade shows in Las Vegas, New York, and Salt Lake City. This first set has already been showcased at the Outdoor Retailer Trade Show this past week and the reaction so far has been phenomenal.

“It’s an unbelievable opportunity for students to creatively express themselves without limitations!  This is another way BEARPAW is getting involved with today’s younger generation and it also introduces them to the footwear industry.  You never know these could be young footwear designers in the making.”  Jennifer Craig, Associate Publisher:   Footwear Plus Magazine.

After the shows, the boots will be auctioned off at the upcoming Art Show and all the proceeds will go back to the art department for supplies and materials.

Artistic expression is in the air at BEARPAW. A little birdie (wearing the cutest pair of BEARPAW Marissa Boots) told me that there’s another art project coming up soon. Shining a spotlight on up and coming artists, the Home Grown Project will allow local artists to show their talents on a national stage. Stay tuned!

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