Furniture Library Names Future Designers Summit Scholarship Winners

Furniture World News Desk on 9/24/2024

Pictured L to R: Elise DeGraef, Arianna Repack and Mason McKay with Karla Jones at left and Gala Magrina at right.

The Bienenstock Furniture Library concluded its fourth annual Future Designers Summit, held Sept. 11-13, by awarding scholarships to three exceptional students.

Three industry sponsors contributed to the scholarship awards: Verellen, the Broyhill Family Foundation, and J Black Design. Additionally, Verellen was the Platinum sponsor of this year's summit event and the Broyhill Family Foundation was its Gold sponsor.

The Verellen Furniture Scholarship winner in furniture design earning $5,000 is Mason McKay, a student at Appalachian State University.

The Broyhill Family Foundation Scholarship recipient of $5,000 for interior design is Arianna Repack, a student at High Point University.

The John Black Scholarship of $2,000 was awarded by Joyce Black for interior design to Elise DeGraef, a student at Mount Mary University. 

The students were three of 34 selected from 12 colleges and universities that were invited to attend. All submitted personal essays and provided work samples from their portfolios during the application process. 

The annual Future Designers Summit offers students an immersive three-day educational and networking experience. Keynote addresses were presented by TV design personality Hilary Farr and holistic interior design expert Gala Magrina.  

Additional sponsors included Calligaris USA, Century Furniture, Davis Furniture, Furniture World, IFDA Educational Foundation, Jessica Charles, Hancock & Moore, Hickory Chair, Highland House, Maitland-Smith and others.

Their contributions helped to offset the costs of travel, accommodations and meals for each student attendee, and covered expenses for the program’s development and marketing. 

For the full list of contributors, or to inquire about future sponsorship opportunities, visit the Future Designers Summit page located on the Bienenstock Furniture Library website, or write to Karla Jones at executive-director@furniturelibrary.com.

About the Bienenstock Furniture Library
The Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library is a worldwide center for research, design, and collaboration.  It holds the world's largest collection of rare and significant books on the history and design of furniture, with more than 5,000 volumes. The Library is located in High Point, NC and is open to members of the home furnishings industry, students and the general public. The Library was founded in 1970 with an endowment from Furniture World Magazine and the Bienenstock family. It is supported by a board of directors from nearly every facet of the home furnishings industry. It is devoted to the advancement of knowledge about design, furniture, interiors, architecture, textiles, finishes, and constructions. The Library's rare book collection contains volumes published since 1543. A special climate-controlled room houses these rare volumes. It is a treasure trove of inspiration for anyone interested in home furnishings and interior design.   The Library's facilities include the Vuncannon Seminar Room, the high-tech Hadley Court Center for Design Collaboration and the Pat Plaxico Sculpture Gardens.  These areas are available for seminars, classes, events, meetings, design collaborations, networking and design retreats for a small honorarium. For more information visit www.furniturelibrary.com or contact Karla Webb, Library Director at info@furniturelibrary.com or 336-883-4011.