News

Date Posted: 04/13/2009

 

 

Furniture design projects by five MCAD students were selected by venerable retailer Room & Board to compete in the 2009 Room & Board Furniture Design Competition. Now in its seventh year, the competition boasts a special twist for 2009--the public gets to help choose the winner.

The five finalists are Summer Covell, Mina Jang, Kaitlin Kahn, Steve Mullenbach, and Matthew Sairio. Their design boards and models are on display at the Room & Board store in Edina, Minn., where voting is open now until noon on April 24, 2009. The public's favorite project will be considered alongside six professional judges' picks, with the winner to be announced on April 27, 2009.

"It was a great group--hard to choose," said Steve Freeman, vendor resource manager of Room & Board, after reviewing the students' proposals on April 10.

As seen in the April issue of Mpls.St.Paul, the Room & Board Furniture Design Competition offers student designers the chance to win $1,500 and consideration for future implementation and production of their design by the Room & Board design team. Past selections include "Stow," a media console designed by 2005 winner Maxwell Kelsey, which is currently produced and sold by Room & Board.

The challenge each year is to create a design that is eco-friendly, with this year's theme being "Small Spaces, Big Ideas." Each year, the competition is facilitated at MCAD by Career Services Director Christine Daves (BFA '96). Visiting Artist George Mahoney (MFA '04) of Minneapolis design studio Solv worked with Daves on the 2009 competition.

Room & Board's Edina store is located at 7010 France Ave. S. near Southdale and the Galleria. Visit their Web site for store hours and more information.