Furniture Society, Powermatic award scholarships

Five students of furniture design were awarded workshop scholarships by The Furniture Society that were sponsored by Powermatic.

Each 2011 scholarship recipient is given up to $3,000 to attend a specific one-, two- or eight-week workshop offered by schools participating in the program. The scholarships cover tuition, housing, on-campus meals and a travel stipend.

“These annual scholarships are about encouraging young people who will become future leaders in the craft of furniture making,” said Barry Schwaiger, Powermatic’s product manager and executive member of the scholarship selection committee, in a statement. “Some will go on to head their own independent workshops, which have become the style leaders in furniture design. Others will become designers and executives in the furniture industry.”

“Educational opportunities in furniture-making are better now than ever,” The Furniture Society president Alfred Sharp. “Independent schools of craft offer many specific courses and workshops in addition to those available at colleges and universities. However, some of the most innovative students need financial help to pursue the best programs.”

The scholarship recipients are:

• Theresa Audet of Minneapolis (Minneapolis College of Art and Design).

• Gill Benzion of Oakville, Ontario (Sheraton College).

• Juan Pablo Blanco of Newton, Mass. (North Bennet Street School).

• Joanna Ginsberg of White Plains, N.Y. (Purchase College, State University of New York).

• Eleanor Richards of Tempe, Ariz. (Arizona State University)

For information, visit www.furnituresociety.org.