
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, June 8, 1995                   TAG: 9506090110
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-7   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

11-YEAR-OLD SOUPS UP THE OLD CAN

With Andy Warhol gone, Campbell Soup Co. awards a young Californian $10,000 for his Egyptian-themed label.

Andy Warhol's famous pop-art paintings of the classic red-and-white Campbell's Soup can gave the company an unmatched presence around the world.

Now, 33 years after his original work, Campbell Soup Co. hopes to find the ``next'' Warhol.

At a ceremony Wednesday at the Whitney Museum of Art, the company announced the winner of its "Art of Soup" contest, a cooridinated search for an artist to fill Warhol's shoes. Warhol died in 1987.

Artists were asked to give their own interpretations of the standard red-and-white can. Entries ranged from a sequined evening gown with Campbell's Soup labels to a painting of the Mona Lisa holding a soup can.

Matthew Balestrieri, an 11-year-old from San Juan Bautista, Calif., was awarded the grand prize of $10,000. His work, based on ancient Egyptian art, with hieroglyphics and inscriptions used to tell the importance of Campbell's Soup.

Balestrieri's piece was chosen from more than 10,000 submissions by professional and amateur artists. Four finalists were chosen, each receiving $5,000. The grand prize winner then was picked from the final four.

It's unknown if any of the entries will bring Campbell's the publicity Warhol's paintings did, but the company is exploring ways to market Balestieri's design and plans to use it for internal corporate purposes.

by CNB