Judges Announced for 35th ARTS Awards
Furniture World News Desk on
9/12/2024
Dallas Market Center and ART, the creative home furnishings network, have announced the judges
for the 35th ARTS Awards, taking place in Dallas on Friday, January 10, 2025 at the Hilton Anatole Hotel.
The ARTS Awards, presented annually during the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market, celebrates preeminent
manufacturers, retailers, interior designers, product designers, and sales representatives.
A panel of distinguished judges will choose winners based on submissions, which may include examples of product
development, marketing, merchandising, company differentiation, or professional information, consistent on their
selected category. In the Fall, judges will gather in Dallas for two days to review each submission from individuals
and/or companies. After the judges complete their process, a designated accounting firm will count and secure the
scores until the winners are revealed at the ARTS Awards gala.
The 35th ARTS Awards judges are:
-
Michela O'Connor Abrams, Board Chair, Sustainable Furnishings Council and Sustainable Furnishings
Educational Fund. Michela exclusively serves as the Green Award judge and reviews only the
manufacturing finalists’ submissions. Michela is the Founder of MOCA+, which focuses on integrating design
thinking and leadership into business strategy. Former CEO of Dwell Media, she grew the brand from a startup to
an international name. With experience at IDG, Softbank, McGraw Hill, Ziff Davis, and Future Media, she has led
companies through growth and turnaround phases. Michela serves on the board of Arcbazar and advises several
companies, including Turkel Design and Nebia. She is a sought-after speaker on leadership, design, and
media.
-
Leon Goetz, Founder & CEO, Goetz Inc. Leon Goetz is the founder and CEO of Goetz Inc., a
multi-line sales and marketing agency and long-time exhibitor at Dallas Market Center. Since 1984, Goetz Inc.
has represented a diverse range of luxury brands in gift, home decor, tabletop, holiday, and fashion categories,
occupying over 45,000 square feet of showrooms. While the agency focuses on sales growth, service excellence,
and strong vendor/retailer partnerships, Leon’s passion lies in consulting on product development, design,
and presentation for both new and established brands.
-
Jaclyn Hirschhaut, Executive Director, International Casual Furniture Association. Jaclyn C.
“Jackie” Hirschhaut is Vice President of Public Relations and Marketing at the American Home
Furnishings Alliance and Executive Director of the International Casual Furnishings Association. She oversees
marketing and media relations at AHFA and leads the outdoor furnishings sector at ICFA. Formerly Editor-in-Chief
of Elegant Bride and an award-winning journalist, Jackie has a background in retail and product
development. She holds degrees in journalism and marketing and is active with the Public Relations Society of
America and various industry boards.
-
Jaye Anna Mize, Creative Director, Home Interiors, Fashion Snoops. Jaye Anna Mize is the VP of
Advisory and Partnerships at Fashion Snoops, a top trend-forecasting agency. With over 18 years of experience,
Mize excels in home and interior design trends, leveraging AI and tech-savvy strategies to uncover market
opportunities. She has worked with major brands like Unilever, Kohl’s, and Target, and is a recognized
thought leader, speaking at events such as High Point Market Authority and Maison & Objet. Mize leads teams
in aligning design, merchandising, and marketing to emerging consumer behaviors and future trends, including
collaborations with Drew and Jonathan Scott and BuzzFeed’s Tasty Product Line.
-
Khoi Vo, CEO, American Society of Interior Designers. Khoi Vo, IIDA, CIDA, IDEC, IDECF, brings
over 20 years of experience in interior design, architecture, and education. A former leader at Savannah College
of Art and Design (SCAD), Vo founded Studio Four Los Angeles and Khoi Vo Design, where he led design projects
and operations. He has taught and held leadership roles at California State University, SCAD, and the University
of North Carolina at Greensboro. Vo is a distinguished member of several industry organizations, including the
Interior Design Educator Council Foundation and ASID. He has received notable awards such as the 2015 CIDA Award
for Excellence in Teaching and the 2017-18 Design Intelligence Top 25 Most Admired Educators. Vo holds a BA in
design-focused architecture from the University of Florida and a Master of Architecture from the Southern
California Institute of Architecture.
-
Erin Weir, Co-founder, The Pearl Collective. Erin Weir is the co-founder and VP of Sales &
Marketing at Pearl Collective, an interior design consultancy that boosts profits for designers, architects, and
creatives. Known for her dynamic leadership and marketing expertise, Erin enhances every client interaction and
is dedicated to advancing the interior design industry. She educates designers on profitable practices,
leadership, and productivity, advises manufacturers on better business partnerships, and helps clients build
confidence through effective processes and a team-oriented approach.
All 35th ARTS Awards finalists may be viewed here. Reservations for the ARTS Awards open on
October 2. Tickets will be $170 for ART members and $200 for non-members. Discounted rates for full tables of (8)
and (10) guests are also available.
Media and organization sponsors for the ARTS Awards are: Home Accents Today; Gifts & Decorative Accessories;
HFN; Designer’s Today; Furniture/Today; Home Textiles Today; Aspire; Furniture, Lighting, &
Décor; Interior Design Society; Luxe Interiors + Design; Modern Luxury; PaperCity; Business of Home;
Décor News Now, and Sustainable Furnishings Council.
For more information, visit the ARTS Awards website. Keep
up-to-date with Dallas Market Center events and happenings on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and use #ARTSAwards
to stay connected.
To make plans for upcoming markets, visit the Dallas Market Center website and download the Dallas Market Center and Lightovation Apps. Also, keep
up-to-date on all information by visiting Dallas Market Center on Facebook, X, Instagram, and the DMC Blog.
About the ARTS Awards
The ARTS Awards is the premier international awards program dedicated to the home
industry. Up to 28 categories exist under the headings Manufacturer, Retailer, Product Designer, Interior
Designer, Sales Representative, Green Award, and other specialty honors. Anyone in the industry can nominate
including manufacturers, retailers, sales representatives, designers, suppliers, consultants, and other industry
officials. Companies that have won an ARTS Award five times are inducted into the Hall of Fame. Current Hall of
Fame members are: Arteriors Home, Beatriz Ball, Bella Casa, BJ’s Home Accents, C.S. Wo & Sons,
Distinctive Designs International Inc., Elements at Home, Feizy Rugs, Fine Art Lamps, Global Views, HW Home,
Loloi Rugs, Montaage, Natural Decorations Inc., Palecek, Paragon, Phillips Collection, Robb & Stucky,
Schonbek Worldwide Lighting, Seasonal Living, and Vietri.
About ART
ART is the creative home furnishings network representing manufacturers, retailers,
representatives and other individuals and companies interested in promoting and enhancing the market position of
the home furnishings industry. Each year ART sponsors programs such as the ART conference, regional educational
seminars, the ART card, and the ARTS Awards. The ART website is available at www.accessoriesresourceteam.org.
About Dallas Market Center
Dallas Market Center is a global business-to-business trade center and the leading
wholesale marketplace in North America connecting retailers and interior designers with top manufacturers in
home décor, furniture, gifts, lighting and fashion. Inside its dynamic, five million square foot campus,
nearly 200,000 customers from all 50 states and 85 countries seek industry trends, business education and new
products from exhibitors throughout the year via dominant trade events for gift, home décor, holiday and
floral; the nation’s most comprehensive apparel and accessories markets featuring the latest styles from
East Coast and West Coast designers; the world’s largest western marketplace, opening in 2021; the
largest residential lighting trade event in North America; and the largest and most successful open-daily design
center. The marketplace is located in the strongest economic zone in the country. In addition, more than 80
percent of Dallas Market Center buyers report that they do not shop other market centers. To make plans for
upcoming markets, visit the Dallas Market Center website and
download the Dallas Market Center and Lightovation
Apps. Also, keep up-to-date on all information by visiting Dallas Market Center on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the Dallas Market Center blog.