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ITMA Names Virginia Jackson Design Winners
April 25,
2011 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Upholstery on April 26, 2011
Winners have been named in the annual Virginia Jackson Design Competition, sponsored by the Educational Foundation of the International Textile Market Association, producer of the semi-annual Showtime fabric show.
The Virginia Jackson Design Awards recognize outstanding textile design students in three categoriesjacquard, dobby and print.
This year, the 63 entries from 11 schools, were judged on aesthetic form, ability to be manufactured and applicability to furniture products, with nine designs selected as winners. The top designs will be displayed in Suites at Market Square throughout Summer Showtime June 5-8.
A big part of the mission of ITMAs Educational Foundation is to encourage creative individuals to enter the home furnishings textile field, and we are always thrilled by the excellence of the entries we receive, said Catherine Morsell, executive director.
The winners in each category are:
JACQUARD
1st Place Leigh Hawkins, North Carolina State University
2nd Place Natasha Rosenber, Rhode Island School of Design
Honorable Mention Katherine Labate, Philadelphia University
DOBBY
1st Place Mary Armacost, Philadelphia University
2nd Place Marissa Haback, Rhode Island School of Design
Honorable Mention Julia Frisch, Rhode Island School of Design
PRINT
1st Place Aubrey Owada, Michigan State University
2nd Place Jessica Cates Miller, University of Georgia
Honorable Mention Elizabeth Weissert, Philadelphia University
Each winner receives a monetary prize, and each first-place winners school also receives $1,000 donated to its textile design department. In addition, the first-place winners in each category are flown expenses-paid to Showtime to be honored and meet with members of the industry during an evening social event. The students are encouraged to bring their portfolios with them.
Judges for this year's competition were Wesley Mancini, Wesley Mancini Ltd.; Kim Grimsley, K. Grimsley Designs, LLC; Todd Bowles and Roxy Ulmsten, both of Convergence; Sara Gray, Design Consultant Sourcing; Todd Nifong, Altizer & Co. Decorative Textiles; Cathy Smith, De Leo Textiles; and Erica Youngleson, American Decorative Fabrics.