"Patrick Griffith says he had a blast participating in Art of Can Minneapolis last year. His “CaBull San Lucas” entry, a combination of aluminum cut-outs and etching, took Third Prize honors, winning him a stay in a posh Twin Cities hotel where his work was put on display to the public. Determined to enter again with an even more complex piece, Griffith started collecting cans almost as soon as the 2006 exhibition was over. His “Prothom Wallah” is an etching on a “canvas” incorporating about seventy cans. Griffith earned an associate’s degree, was hired to make Game Boy Advance games, and eventually decided to re-enroll in school. He’s now a student at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, where he’s working toward a bachelor’s degree in computer science and also serves as an IT tech. Art is a powerful avocation for the 28-year-old. He has studied cartooning, computer and traditional animation, and other mediums, and he once worked as a lead artist for a small gaming company. “Since Philadelphia is close to where my friends and family live, I figured even if I don’t win, it would be fun to check out the gallery,” he says of the Art of Can exhibition space at The F.U.E.L. Collection."

Jon Adams completed two associate’s degrees at the University of Montana-Helena College of Technology and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer science at Montana State University, with the anticipation of graduate studies. After the economic downturn left him unemployed and homeless, at age 40 the Navy veteran “jumped headlong” into college. At UM-Helena, he tutored peers, served on the Student Senate and as VP of Community Service for Phi Theta Kappa, and played a leadership role with the collegiate branch of the Kiwanis, spearheading a 2009 food drive that raised 11,400 pounds of supplies locally and tons more across the state.