The Bienenstock Furniture Library concluded its second annual Future Designers Summit (FDS), held Sep. 21-23, by awarding individual scholarships to four students, more than doubling the total scholarship funding to $12,000 this year.
Kiandokht Maghsoud, an interior architecture student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNC-G), was named winner of the $5,000 John Black Scholarship, a new award for 2022 that was established to honor the life and work of the renowned furniture designer.
“I am very grateful to have the opportunity to receive the John Black Scholarship to further my goals in accomplishing my research and practice in sustainability in furniture design,” said Maghsoud. “I appreciate their willingness to provide these opportunities for aspiring students with futures in the furniture industry.”
Bhargavi Singh, who studies interior design at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), also received $5,000, funded by the Broyhill Family Foundation Scholarship, which awarded a student winner at last year’s inaugural Future Designers Summit event.
“I am extremely honored and elated that I won the Broyhill Family Foundation Scholarship,” Singh. “I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to all those who made this opportunity possible and who chose to invest in the future of the design fraternity.”
All students participating in the 3-day event were eligible to win, and each had several opportunities throughout the event for their name to be added to the drawing, which took place at the closing session of the Bienenstock Future Designers Summit, in the Universal Furniture showroom.
Two additional scholarships were awarded, including the June Anderson Scholarship, another new scholarship this year. Brad Taylor, a furniture design student at SCAD, received $1,000.
M’Ballou Traore, a student of graphic design at Salem College, also received a $1,000 Bienenstock Furniture Library Future Designers Summit scholarship, another new award, which was funded by the library, organizer of the event. The scholarship was awarded in honor of Bienenstock Furniture Library Board President Christi Spangle.
Modeling the 2021 FDS event, this fall’s conference offered students an immersive 3-day educational and networking experience, with featured keynote speakers, facility tours, and breakout sessions moderated by industry professionals.
U.S. based students submitted applications in late February, with 47 selected from 14 colleges and universities invited to attend. Along with their applications, students included personal essays in which they were asked to envision their future role in design and provide examples from their portfolios
Event sponsors and contributors helped to offset the costs of travel, accommodations and meals for each student attendee, and covered expenses for the program’s development and marketing. Participating sponsors included Broyhill Family Foundation, J Black Design, Universal Furniture, The Earl and Kathryn Congdon Family Foundations, High Point Market Authority, Davis Furniture, Century Furniture, Otto & Moore, Inc, Savour Partnership, Nancy Fire Designs, International Market Centers, Gwen Emery, Leggett & Platt, Jillian O’Neill, Norwalk Furniture, Crypton Fabrics, Tomlinson Erwin Lambeth, Barbour Spangle Design, 220 Elm, AHFA, High Point Discovered and Richard Frinier Design Studio; as well as contributors Alderman Company, Jane Dagmi, Culp, Visit High Point, HPxD, Phillips Collection and Verellen.