The Lead South Australia

News leads from South Australia

Get The Lead in your inbox. Subscribe

JamFactory and Stylecraft establish the Australian Furniture Design Award

Arts

THE Australian Furniture Design Award (AFDA) is a significant prize to encourage innovation and raise the profile of Australian designers.

Print article Republish Notify me

Sign up to receive notifications about new stories in this category.

Thank you for subscribing to story notifications.

THE Australian Furniture Design Award (AFDA) is a significant prize to encourage innovation and raise the profile of Australian designers.

Winners will receive a $20,000 cash prize and significant mentoring with a residency at JamFactory's Adelaide-based Furniture Studio. Their prototype work will also be acquired and displayed by the Art Gallery of South Australia.

Brian Parkes, CEO of JamFactory, anticipates that the AFDA will become one of the country's richest and most prestigious design awards.

“The opportunity for the winner to work with John Goulder and the team in our Furniture Studio and to access our local manufacturing networks is a significant value-add for the prize,” Parkes said.

Art Gallery of South Australia's Director Mitzevich said the designers' work will sit next to some impressive prototype pieces, including Marc Newson's Lockheed Lounge which is currently on display.

“The purchase of work through this important new Award will enable the Gallery to continue to build its design holdings,” Mitzevich said.

Rising star of Australian furniture design, Adam Goodrum, said that there were few platforms that nurture Australian designers in such a practical and career-defining way.

“No other award offers such a substantial prize pool and rigorous mentoring programme. The professional advice means that a designer can transform their great idea into a resolved, market place product,” Goodrum said.

From entries submitted online, six finalists will be chosen by an expert judging panel. Prototype pieces by the finalists will be exhibited at Stylecraft’s Adelaide showroom in July 2015 when the winner will be announced.

Judges include Tony Russell, National Product and Brand Manager at Stylecraft, Jon Goulder, Creative Director of the Furniture Design Studio at JamFactory, Nick Mitzevich, Director of the Art Gallery of South Australia, Fenella Kernebone, Presenter of By Design on ABC National Radio, and Rosina Di Maria, Principal at Woods Bagot.

The exhibition of finalists’ works will tour to Stylecraft showrooms in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Perth over the following 12 months.

The Award is open to all Australian designers or designers currently resident in Australia.

Entries can be submitted on-line between now and the closing date 22 May 2015.

AFDA

More on the JamFactory from The Lead South Australia:

Pinning a winner in design

JamFactory at Seppeltsfield Winery

DANIEL EMMA design duo to curate JamFactory experience

Sammy the sea lion to greet guests at luxury Kangaroo Island resort

This is a Creative Commons story from The Lead South Australia, a news service providing stories about innovation in South Australia. Please feel free to use the story in any form of media. The story sources are linked in with the copy and all contacts are willing to talk further about the story. Copied to Clipboard

More Arts stories

Loading next article