CGC Announces Winners of Second Annual Ringling College of Art and Design Custom Label Contest

It has been almost a year since Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®) announced the winners of its first-ever custom label contest, spotlighting the work of the incredibly talented students from the INDEX Project at the world-renowned Ringling College of Art and Design. The INDEX Project gives students the opportunity to gain real-life experience working with businesses and corporations, while elevating their portfolios in the process. Last year's contest was so well received that CGC and Ringling decided to team up again and make it an annual event!

This year, CGC presented the contest parameters to the students in person at the Ringling campus, with the addition of Zombies to the Sci-fi/Horror design theme. The level of student engagement was tremendous, with over 50 students interested in participating. Like last year, students were tasked with creating an original design using their medium of choice (i.e. computer art, photography, painting, etc.), and once again the entries were outstanding.

Both the CGC comic book grading team and the CGC marketing team voted on the entries this year and the top three were awarded cash prizes and recognition on the CGC social media channels. First place went to Hao Zhang, a Game Art major who received a $500 cash prize; second place went to Bailing Shi, who won a $250 cash prize; and third place was Damian Villegas, who won a $100 cash prize.

“Our first custom label contest with the students at Ringling generated a stunning number of entries, and our follow-up year brought twice the heat! Determining the winners among the exemplary entries was a tall task, as every single one of them blew away our judges with their skill and talent. We are very excited to announce our 2021 winners and hope to see an even more amazing turnout in 2022,” shared Matt Nelson, CGC President and Senior Grading Finalizer.

In addition to the prize money and prestige that the first-place winner will receive, CGC will also be offering their winning label design for a limited time to CGC collectors to add to their graded comic books.

CGC plans to continue this contest with the talented students from the INDEX Project at Ringling College of Art and Design for years to come.

Interested in custom labels for your next submission? You can view all the available custom CGC labels here.

Want to know more about the winning Ringling art students?

First place winner

Obsidian Prime Zhang
Major: Game Art
Grad Year: 2025

Second place winner

Bailing Shi
Major: Motion Design
Grad Year: 2024
Portfolio: www.behance.net/bailingshi

Third place winner

Damian Villegas
Major: Motion Design
Grad Year: 2024
Portfolio: www.instagram.com/andaviii/

About Ringling College of Art and Design

Since 1931, creatives from every corner of the world come to Ringling College of Art and Design to deepen, transform, and explore their passions. Our nearly 1,700 students are fueled by a need to create, and we deliver the tools to turn passion into profession: an award-winning faculty, cutting-edge technology, and a supportive, creative community.

We offer the BFA in eleven disciplines and the BA in two. Beyond our rigorous curriculum—pairing studio and liberal arts—we excel in propelling students outside of the classroom through client projects, substantive internships, and national competitions, stopping at nothing to shape our students into tomorrow’s leaders of art and design. www.ringling.edu