The International Furnishings and Design Association’s Carolinas Chapter held its 10th anniversary Night of Luminaries & Rising Stars recently, celebrating outstanding design students from colleges and universities across the Carolinas, as well as presenting the organization’s Luminary Award.

The Markor Art Center in the heart of downtown High Point’s market district hosted the evening’s festivities. The MAC is home to showrooms for leading brands Caracole, Jonathan Charles and A.R.T.,  and the students were treated to a private tour of the showrooms and the building’s sweeping panoramic rooftop deck, guided by professional designers, prior to the awards ceremony.

Rising Stars for 2022:

Janine Allen, Wake Technical Community College

Melanie Calan-Sanchez, Salem College

Allison Paige Casper, East Carolina University

Ethan Davis, Queens University

Joscelyn Gallego, Converse University

Hannah Nicole Gerstner, Winthrop University

Annette Gomez, Western Carolina University

Katelyn Lane, Central Piedmont Community College

Aubrey Maness, Randolph Community College

Madison Potter, Meredith College

Emma Reamer, Appalachian State University

Ella Richardson, Cape Fear Community College

Lily Smoot, Appalachian State University

Sierra South, Forsyth Technical Community College

Katie Taylor, High Point University

Ian Waddill, University of North Carolina – Greensboro

Rising Stars are senior-level undergraduates selected by their colleges or universities across North Carolina and South Carolina as their most outstanding home furnishings or design student. These young people represent all facets of design, including furniture design, industrial design and interior design. Students chose a recent project that best exemplified their work and design philosophy, and the projects were displayed at a cocktail reception held in their honor. Following the reception, the students were introduced to industry and community leaders in attendance, presented a Rising Star certificate and gift bag.

Four other students, all industry scholarship winners, were also recognized.

Anna Lee from Converse University, Lauren Hellner of UNC-Greensboro and Elaine Mansure of Appalachian State University were awarded 2023 merit scholarships from the International Furnishings and Design Association Educational Foundation.

John Conrad, executive director of ISFD, the International Society of Furniture Designers, was on hand to announce that association’s annual scholarship recipient. ISFD selected Tomoki Nomura, a furniture design student at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California, as its scholarship winner. ISFD is a partner in the Luminary Awards ceremony.

The Luminary Award winner, Furniture Today, was represented by the publication’s founder Stephen Pond and current Editor-in-Chief Bill McLoughlin.

The Night of Luminaries and Rising Stars is held annually to recognize leadership, innovation and contribution to the home and design industries, as well as highlighting outstanding young designers of tomorrow.

Luminary Award presenting sponsors are Century Furniture, Davis Furniture Industries, Thayer Coggin, Gefen Productions, Libby Langdon Design, Markor, IFDA-EF and Nancy High. Industry partners are Benjamin Moore, Hunter Douglas, European Home, The Shade Store, Theodore Alexander, High Point x Design and Sherrill. Rising Star supporters are Barclay Butera, Davis Furniture Industries, High Point Market Authority, International Market Centers, Thayer Coggin and The Media Matters.