Design*Sponge » scholarship

weekly wrap up + 2011 d*s scholarship winners!

Stephanie — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:00:02 +0000

Nothing makes me happier than dedicating my final post of 2011 to the next generation of great design talent. Today I’m thrilled to announce the winners of the 2011 D*S Scholarship! I am so appreciative that so many amazing students took the time to enter- thank you for sharing your work with us, it was an honor to look through it all. Thank you again to this year’s sponsors Congratulations to:

Undergraduates:

1st place ($2500): Alyssa McNamara
2nd place ($1500): Nick Missel
3rd place ($750): Carly Ayres
4th place ($250): Leah Goren

Graduates:

1st place ($2500): Marta Dlugolecka
2nd place ($1500): Bethany Ng
3rd place ($750): Ashley Peifer
4th place ($250): Elise Deringer

Thank you again to this year’s scholarship sponsors who made these no-strings-attached financial awards possible. West Elm, Perigee Books (a division of Penguin) and Artstream.

It has been such an honor to talk about and celebrate great design with all of you this year. 2011 saw a major redesign at D*S, our first printed newspaper, our first book, a 30-city book tour, the Portland Bazaar, our first ever office and our first full-time employee. If 2012 is even a fraction of what 2011 was, I will be the luckiest girl alive. Thank you so much to all of you for joining us here every day and being a part of this amazing community of people who truly embrace living a creative life. I am so inspired by all of you and can’t wait to see what 2012 holds for all of us. We’re closing up our laptops and will return after the New Year on Tuesday, January 3rd. Until then I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday and from all of us here at D*S, best wishes for a wonderful new year. xo, grace

*Image above via Hope and Joy Studios

Below is a summary of this week’s highlights:

Must Read: Design Solutions for Working at Home, 24 Hours in Brooklyn with: Melaena Cadiz
Biz Ladies: How to Get Your Business Attention by Giving It to Others
City Guides: Istanbul City Guide
Living In: White Christmas
Sneak Peeks: Bryan Minnich & Katie D’Angelo, Steve Soria
DIY Projects: Paper Snowflake Mini-garland, Neon Tag Giftwrap and Decor
Before & After: Mid-century Credenza Makeunder, Living Room Transformation, Multi-drawer Media Console, Minimalist Bathroom Makeover
What’s in Your Toolbox: Sasha Adler
Sewing 101: Christmas Stockings
In the Kitchen With:
Artwork:
Misc.: Left Field Cards, Rym of Mademoiselle Bagatelles, bkr: The Bottle, Surprise Surprise Light, New Online Shopping: Amelia, Spooled, Matter Matters, Dottir & Sonur

2011 d*s scholarship: grad finalists + voting!

Grace Bonney — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:00:18 +0000

The undergraduate scholarship voting is already off to a great start, and it’s been so fun to read people’s comments and see how excited they’re getting about the next generation of young designers. Today I’m equally thrilled to announce our second and final group of top 10 contenders: our graduate student finalists! These artists and designers have already completed undergraduate work and are now in advanced programs for everything from metalsmithing and graphic design to fibers and painting. There is some really thought-provoking work in this set, so I hope you’ll take the time to explore each finalist, check out their websites and cast your vote (in the poll after the jump) for your favorite. Winners of both the undergraduate and graduate contests will be announced on Friday. Thank you so much to all of the graduate students who took the time to enter, and thank you again to this year’s scholarship sponsors: West Elm, Perigee Books (a division of Penguin) and Artstream.

Please note: All applicants are listed in alphabetical order below. There will be four prizes awarded, which will be determined by voting. The voting order below will randomize with each new viewer; you must click on the poll to register a vote. Comments will not count toward the total. Voting for graduate applicants will end Thursday, December 22nd at 10pm EST (East Coast).

View all 10 graduate applicants and VOTE after the jump . . .

(more…)

2011 d*s scholarship: undergrad finalists + voting!

Grace Bonney — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:00:08 +0000

Today I am thrilled and excited to announce the finalists for the 2011 D*S Scholarship for Undergraduate Students. After days of narrowing down hundreds of applicants to these top 10, I was again reminded of how much excitement, talent and promise exists in the students who are destined to become our next great generation of artists and designers. Because this crop of applicants was so talented, I chose to feature 40 photos from the group, as well as linking to their external portfolios (so you can see all of their work) and include a brief piece of their artist statement. To allow these students to get their fair share of screen time, I’ve decided to delay the graduate student voting until tomorrow at 1pm. So today these will be the only finalists posted.

This year’s finalists are spread out across the country, from down south in Louisiana to the Pacific Northwest. Their majors are varied, but their talent is strong across the board. They’ve taken the time to share their work with us and I hope you’ll take the time to view their work, read their statements, check out their websites and cast your vote for the strongest work. It was an honor to look through so much young talent and I wanted to thank everyone who took the time to enter this year- I feel incredibly hopeful for the next wave of artists we’ll be fortunate enough to cover.

I also wanted to thank this year’s sponsors who are making these no-strings-attached financial awards possible: West Elm, Perigee Books (A division of Penguin), and Artstream.

Please note: All applicants are listed in alphabetical order below. There will be four prizes awarded, which will be determined by voting. The voting order below will randomize with each new viewer- you must click on the poll to register a vote. Comments will not count towards the total. Voting for undergraduate applicants will end Wednesday, December 21st at 10pm EST (East Coast).

View all 10 Undergraduate Applicants and VOTE after the jump…

(more…)

coralie bickford-smith + d*s event + scholarship reminder

Grace Bonney — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:00:43 +0000

Good morning! After a weekend full of rest and family time (and turkey), I’m ready to dive back into D*S full time. But before I get going with today’s posts, I wanted to note two quick reminders. First, this Friday I’ll be talking with book designer (and all-around D*S favorite) Coralie Bickford-Smith about books, design and everything in between. The conversation will take place this Friday, December 2nd at 7pm at a fantastic independent bookstore in Brooklyn called Book Court. If you’re a fan of Coralie’s work, design, books or supporting indie bookstores in general, I hope you’ll join us. The event is free and open to the public, and copies of both Coralie’s book and Design*Sponge at Home will be available for sale and signing. More details here.

Also, today is the last day to enter the 2011 D*S Scholarship! $10,000 in prizes is up for grabs, so if you’re student currently working toward a graduate or undergraduate degree in design or art, please click here for more details and to enter. Applications will close TONIGHT AT 6PM EST (PLEASE NOTE THE TIME ZONE IS EASTERN). xo, grace

thanksgiving notes + scholarship/rsvp reminders

Grace Bonney — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:00:09 +0000

Most of us are heading out of town or at least toward the kitchen to prep for Thanksgiving. Before we all pack up and ship out, I wanted to say a special thank you to everyone reading and to everyone who’s joined us across the country for this year’s Design*Sponge at Home book tour. It’s been a busy year but such an amazing one, and I want to thank all of you for supporting us and sharing so much love and excitement in every city. I also want to extend a special thank you to Amy Azzarito, Kate Pruitt and everyone on our D*S team, without whom this fall (and the book in general) would have been impossible. Thanks guys; you are quite simply the best.

*Thanksgiving centerpiece idea above by Amy Merrick, from Design*Sponge at Home

As we take a break for the rest of the week (stay tuned for one special DIY project on Friday!), I wanted to post two quick but important reminders. First, the 2011 D*S Scholarship is about to close, so if you’re a student and want to be considered for up to $10K in prizes, please check out the scholarship and apply here. It shouldn’t take you more than 15 minutes to finish the application from start to finish, and we’re so excited to see everyone’s entries.

Also, next week will be our final away-from-home book tour event. We’re having one last blow-out craft party at the Anthropologie headquarters (at the Navy Yard) and are learning how to make holiday wreaths. It’s going to be a seriously fun event, so if you’re in the area (or feel like a quick drive or train ride), come join us right here. There are a handful of spots left, and we hope to see you there!

Thank you again for your support this fall — I’m thankful to be back with my friends, family, cats and the rest of my team. It’s so good to be home. Here’s wishing you all a safe and happy time at your homes, wherever they may be. xo, grace

2011 design*sponge scholarship!

Grace Bonney — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:00:23 +0000

*Illustration by Julia Rothman

Today I am thrilled to announce the 2011 D*S Scholarship is live! Since the beginning, it has been one of my biggest priorities to celebrate and support the next generation of great artists and designers. Not only because they need our help, but because these are the people were are going to be writing about and being inspired by for years to come. So today I’m thrilled to kick off our fourth annual scholarship with $10,000 to donate to both undergraduate and graduate students! Because we understand that a student’s needs don’t always fit into the categories of tuition and housing, this will remain a no-strings-attached award. These funds may be spent in any way the winners feel best suits their creative needs. Whether that’s paying for an un-paid internship abroad, expensive supplies to test a new medium or financing a dream project- we’re here to help. Here are the details:

We will be awarding eight prizes:

Undergraduate Student Awards: 1st Place ($2,500), 2nd Place ($1,500), 3rd Place ($750), and 4th Place ($250)

Graduate Student Awards: 1st Place ($2,500) 2nd Place ($1,500) 3rd Place ($750) 4th Place ($250)

The scholarship is open to any art & design students (international students are welcome!) that are currently enrolled in a full-time undergraduate or graduate program (Proof of enrollment is required). Please note: all payments will be made in US dollars.

A big thank you to our sponsors this year: West Elm, Perigee Books (A division of Penguin) and Artstream. West Elm has kindly provided our first place prizes for both undergraduate and graduate students, Perigee has kindly provided our second place prizes for both undergraduate and graduate students and Artstream has provided our third and fourth place prizes for both undergraduate and graduate students.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL DETAILS AND ENTER
All applications are due Monday, November 28th by 6pm EST (please note the time zone, late entries will not be eligible).