2009 Niche winners announced

Niche magazine announced the winners for its 2009 Niche Awards competition in 34 professional categories and 14 student categories in a ceremony held Feb. 15 at the Buyers Market of American Craft in Philadelphia.

The annual awards program recognizes the outstanding creative achievements of North American craft artists who produce work for craft galleries and retail shops. Jurors selected 149 finalists out of more than 1,000 entries in 34 categories.

Winners in the professional categories are:

Home Furnishings: Clocks – Roger Wood, Klockwerks, Toronto

Home Furnishings: Furniture – Paulus Wanrooij, Paulus Fine Furniture, Harpswell, Maine

Wood: Carved (tie) – Milo R. Mirabelli, Mirabelli Designs, Port Orchard, Wash.; Terry Evans, Spirtwood, Overland Park, Kan.

Wood: Painted/Colored - Meg Romero, Meg Romero Studio, Cumberland, Md.

Wood: Traditionally Joined - Damon McIntyre, DMc Custom Design Studio, Gatlinburg, Tenn.

Wood: Turned - Malcolm Zander, JMZ Woodworking, Ottawa, Ont., Canada

The winners in the student categories included:

Furniture – Marcus Papay, San Diego State Univ., San Diego

Wood - Andrew Mau, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, R.I.

Application information for the 2010 Niche Awards will be available this spring at www.americanaraft.com