Students named in design award contest

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 6/9/2003 12:00:00 AM

HIGH POINT, NC —

Rashmi Balashankar of Philadelphia University, Alexis Andette of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), and Vanessa Golestanch of Philadelphia were the first prize winners in the Virginia Jackson Design Award contest, which is sponsored annually by the International Textile Market Association (ITMA).

Balashankar won for jacquard design, Andette for prints and Golestanch for dobby design. In jacquards, Sumitra Mattai of RISD was second place winner and JI-Hyun Bac, Philadelphia, with two tied entries was third place winner.

Clay McLaurin of RISD and Theresa M. Donohue and Claire Renaut of Philadelphia were second and third place winners respectively in the print category.

In dobbies second-place winner was JI-Hyun Bac of Philadelphia and Heidi Blackwood of Kansas City Art Institute was third place winner.

Judges were Liam Waters, line director of Culp Design Center; Agnes Preston-Brame, design director, Golding Fabrics; and Wesley Mancini, president, Wesley Mancini Designs. Entries were judged on aesthetic form, ability to be manufactured and applicability.

In addition, ITMA announced that Bradley Komisar won the annual ITMA Scholar Award, given to a senior in home furnishings marketing at High Point University.

In 2004, ITMA plans to expand the Scholar Program prototype that was developed for High Point University to other schools.