Jan 22, 2012

23rd Annual ARTS Awards Winners Announced

Dallas Market Center and the Accessories Resource Team (ART), the trade association representing the decorative accessory industry, announced the winners of the 23rd annual ARTS Awards during a gala event held the evening of Saturday, January 21 at the ARTS Awards’ new location, the Hilton Anatole Hotel. Guests attended the ceremony that recognized ARTS Awards recipients in 26 different categories. Allan H. Palacek, founder/CEO and lead designer of PALECEK, was honored with the Academy of Achievement Award for his significant impact on the home décor and decorative accessories industry. Award presenters included: Donna Moss, interior designer, owner of That’s Haute and star of HGTV’s “Donna Decorates Dallas”; Dann Foley, lifestyle expert and principal of DANN INC.; Steve Crowder, president and CEO of GuildMaster and ART president, as well as representatives from ART and Dallas Market Center. The approximately 650 attendees included a wide range of retailers, manufacturers, sales representatives, media and designers from across North America.

The ARTS Awards, presented each January during the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market, is the premier awards program for the decorative accessory industry and recognizes excellence from retailers, manufacturers, sales representatives and designers.

Inspired by the color and grace of the monarch butterfly, gala tables were adorned with satin, persimmon tablecloths and amber silk napkins, each adorned with a napkin ring made with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS—a gift for each guest. Floral arrangements featured orange roses and lilies, white orchids, chartreuse spider mums and papyrus. Walls were bathed with images of monarch butterflies in amber and pale yellows. The focal points of the ballroom were the SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS custom curtain lining the stage and the two crystal embellished podiums.

23rd ARTS Awards Winners

Manufacturers

Accent Furniture
Phillips Collection – High Point, N.C.

Area Rugs
Jaipur Rugs – Norcross, Ga.

Decorative Accessories
Creative Co-Op – Memphis, Tenn.

Home Textiles
Pom Pom at Home – Hollywood, Calif.

Lighting Fixtures
Corbett Lighting – City of Industry, Calif.

Outdoor Living
Loloi Rugs – Dallas, Texas

Permanent Floral
NDI – Brewton, Ala.

Portable Lamps
Currey & Company – Atlanta, Ga.

Tabletop
Beatriz Ball Collection – Harvey, La.

Wall Décor
Leftbank Art – Santa Fe Springs, Calif.

Green Manufacturer
GuildMaster, Inc. – Springfield, Mo.
TAG, Ltd. – Chicago, Ill.

Sales Representative

East/Atlantic
Jennifer Jackson, jdouglas

Midwest/Southwest
Derrick Ricketts, CODARUS

West
Michelle Korthuis, Elements in Décor

National/Key Accounts
Heather Steeley, Taylors on Ten

Product Designer
Randal Weeks, Aidan Gray Home

Retailers I

International Retailer
Spectro Lighting Group – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Rising Star Retailer
The Mercantile – Atlanta, Ga.

Furniture Store
Seaside Home – Coronado, Calif.

Home Accent Store

East/Atlantic
The French Basket – Florence, Ala.

Midwest/Southwest
MECOX – Dallas, Texas

West
Jak Home – San Francisco, Calif.

Lighting Showroom

East/Atlantic
Elements-Distinctive Lighting & Home Furnishings – Carle Place, N.Y.

Midwest/Southwest
Southern Lights – Burnsville, Minn.

West
Valley Light Gallery – Scottsdale, Ariz.

About Dallas Market Center
Founded in 1957, Dallas Market Center is the world’s most complete wholesale marketplace. Within its marketplace of more than five million square feet, retailers from around the globe source products ranging from home furnishings, gifts, decorative accessories and lighting to textiles, fashion accessories and men’s, western, women’s and children’s apparel. With more than 50 markets each year attended by more than 200,000 retail buyers from all 50 states and 78 countries, Dallas Market Center offers hundreds of events and seminars geared toward helping retailers expand business and increase profits. As a result, more than $8 billion in estimated wholesale transactions are conducted annually within the Dallas Market Center complex. The Dallas Market Center website is available at http://www.dallasmarketcenter.com/. 

About the Accessories Resource Team
The Accessories Resource Team (ART) is the association representing accessory manufacturers, retailers, representatives and other industry individuals and companies interested in promoting the decorative home accessories industry. The association’s goal is to enhance the market position of decorative home accessories. Each year ART sponsors programs such as the ART conference, regional educational seminars and the ARTS Awards. The Accessories Resource Team website is available at http://www.accessoriesresourceteam.org/.

About the ARTS Awards
The ARTS Awards is the premiere awards program dedicated to the home decorative accessories industry. Twenty-six categories exist under the headings Manufacturer, Retailer, Product Designer, Sales Representative, Rising Star, Green Design and Academy of Achievement. Anyone in the industry can nominate including manufacturers, retailers, sales representatives, designers, suppliers, consultants and other industry officials. The Academy of Achievement honoree is selected by the ARTS Awards committee each year. Companies that have won the ARTS Awards five times are inducted into the Hall of Fame. Hall of Fame members are: BJ’s Home Accents, C.S. Wo & Sons, Distinctive Designs International Inc., Feizy Rugs, Fine Art Lamps, Global Views, Montaage, Natural Decorations Inc., Palecek, Paragon, Robb & Stucky and Schonbek Worldwide Lighting.