American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Unveils Student Design Challenge

Furniture World News Desk on 7/23/2021

The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame announced that it is launching a design challenge for college and university students across the U.S. to submit a creative interpretation of the organization’s flame icon. The chosen design will be used in conjunction with the upcoming groundbreaking for their permanent home in downtown High Point and beyond.

Springs (Creative/Mills), based in Fort Mill, SC, is partnering with the Hall of Fame to produce digitally printed textiles emblazoned with the winner’s design.  The winner will work directly with the creative team at Springs Creative to render and execute their artwork into a reproducible format suitable for gifts for the Hall of Fame’s groundbreaking and for other applications once the Hall of Fame building is complete.  In addition, the winner will receive a $500 cash prize.

The design challenge will open on Wednesday, July 28, 2021.  Beginning that day, submission guidelines and application materials will be found on the Hall of Fame’s website at www.homefurnishingshalloffame.com.  The submission window will close Friday, August 27, 2021.

Students can create their designs in any of a variety of mediums best suited to their vision for the iconic flame motif, including paint, colored pencil, digital and online color renderings, and more. 

“Our industry is a fashion industry that thrives on change, so when you step in the door of the Hall of Fame, we want everyone to experience surprise and delight, to be inspired.  In Springs Creative, we found a partner that can bring together the design inspiration of a future generation with a tangible take away from a visit to the Hall of Fame,” says Karen McNeill, CEO of the Hall of Fame.  “We hope to discover a fresh new interpretation of our flame icon through the eyes of design students.”

“Springs Creative was founded on inspiration and creativity. We look forward to working with this young talent in a partnership with the Hall of Fame,” says Derick Close, CEO, Springs Creative.  “Through this partnership, we will help them develop designs unique to the Hall of Fame that can be shared through digitally printed fabrics, from design conception to finished products.  We have long had a healthy internship program and look forward to working with students and at the same time supporting the Hall of Fame. They will be working with our design staff and also within the 650,000 piece Baxter Mill Archive.”

Undergraduate and graduate students, along with those who graduated in academic years 2020 and 2021 from an accredited college or university in the United States are eligible to submit entries.  There is no fee to enter, but only one entry per person will be accepted.

About Springs Creative

Headquartered in the Knowledge Park district of Rock Hill, SC, Springs Creative is a global leader dedicated to creating quality textile products that inspire artists, makers, and designers. Offering services including textile and surface design, CAD artwork, and digital remastering in the design studio, digital textile printing, USA manufacturing, global sourcing and logistics, while holding consumer product licenses for a list of world-class brands. Springs Creative has an incredibly rich history that dates back to 1887 in Lancaster, SC, (formerly Springs Cotton Mills). With 120 years in the textile industry, Springs has established an artistic powerhouse with a collection of over 650,000 vintage fabric swatches, antique documents, and artwork, known as the Baxter Mill Archive. All these incredible components place Springs Creative at the fulcrum of the past and future in the world of textiles.

About the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame

The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc., is an industry-wide organization founded to preserve its history, to celebrate exceptional individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the U.S. home furnishings industry, and to inspire a new class of innovation and leadership. Membership includes eligibility to nominate candidates for consideration by the Selection Committee, and the opportunity to help preserve the history and heritage of the industry. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, funds support our history and leadership programming. The organization currently is based in High Point, North Carolina, at 202 Neal Place, Suite 101, and can be reached at 336.882.5900. Watch for ongoing developments and details about the grand opening of a new permanent home, which is targeted for 2023.