By Andrea Lillo
Now in its 24th year, the ARTS Awards were presented in January, honoring manufacturers, retailers and sales reps in 23 categories, as well as Uttermost’s Cooper family and Dwell with Dignity with special awards. Held during the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market, the awards are organized by Dallas Market Center and the Accessories Resource Team.
In the manufacturing categories, the winners were Worlds Away for accent furniture, Company C for area rugs, Creative Co-Op for home accents, Pine Cone Hill for home textiles, Visual Comfort & Co. for lighting fixtures, Sunset West for outdoor living, Arteriors Home for portable lamps, Beatriz Ball Collection for tabletop and Leftbank Art for wall decor. Loloi Rugs received the green manufacturing award.
In the home accents store category, the companies honored were J Banks Design for the East/Atlantic region, Heather Scott Home & Design for the Midwest/Southwest region, and Interior Illusions for the West region. LOFT Home won the award as Furniture and Outdoor Retailer.
The lighting showrooms that won were Elements - Distinctive Lighting & Home Furnishings for the East/Atlantic region, Hinsdale Lighting for the Midwest/Southwest region, and Elume Distinctive Lighting for the West region.
Sales representatives that were honored were Nancy Foster of Creating Atmospheres for the East/Atlantic region, Richard Alan of Richard Alan & Associates for the Midwest/Southwest region, and Lucha Bott of Lucha Bott Sales for the West region.
Other awards included Canada’s Multi Luminaire as international retailer and Clive Daniel Home as rising star retailer. Beth Lacefield of Lacefield Design won in the product designer category.
Introduced by his four daughters, Uttermost’s Mac Cooper accepted the Academy of Achievement Award on behalf of the Cooper family. Uttermost was founded by his parents Bob and Belle Cooper, and manufactures products in a range of categories including accent furniture, mirrors, wall decor, art, lighting, permanent botanicals and more. “We do believe in hard work, even if no one was watching,” he told the crowd.
Dwell with Dignity, which helps families escape poverty and homelessness through design, was honored with the inaugural Visionary Award that recognizes industry innovation and excellence. Lisa Robison, founder and president, and Kim Turner, vice president and executive director of Dwell with Dignity accepted the award.
ARTS Awards presenters included: John Gidding, designer and HGTV host; Shay Geyer, interior designer of IBB Designs; Dallas Market Center’s Bill Winsor, president and CEO, Cindy Morris, COO, and Mindy Lowack, leasing director and executive vice president of ART; and Sharon Davis, ART’s executive director.
Upon entering the ballroom at the Hilton Anatole for the dinner and awards ceremony portion of the ARTS Awards, guests were greeted by a glittering 14-foot-tall crystal strand curtain lining the stage and a custom-made, crystal embellished podium by Swarovski Elements.
Please see HFN's Photo Gallery for more coverage of the ARTS Awards: http://hfnmag.com/p-g/2664 [1]