Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum announced the design team of Emily Bryson, 18, and Natasja Enriquez, 18, students of Design and Architecture Senior High in Miami, as the winner of the third annual National High School Design Competition: All Access, organized in collaboration with Target. The winning design concept, titled “Art-Share,” is a tactile art-making kit that facilitates development of motor skills through three tools that wind, roll and stamp. Inspired by a visit to the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, Bryson and Enriquez’ goal was to create a unique art-making experience for both individuals who are sighted and those who are visually impaired.

The National High School Design Competition is a part of Cooper Hewitt’s national education outreach designed to engage the next generation of problem solvers and empower them to be agents of change in their own communities. More than 800 students submitted design ideas to this year’s competition challenge of making the everyday more accessible for all. An esteemed panel of judges from diverse creative fields convened at Cooper Hewitt on June 3 to hear presentations by three finalist teams.

The competition took its inspiration from a Smithsonian pan-institutional strategic focus on inclusivity. The museum’s current exhibitions “Access+Ability” and “The Senses: Design Beyond Vision” provide a major platform for the growing movement toward accessibility and inclusive design, and are part of Cooper Hewitt’s greater, ongoing effort to broaden access and awareness to its campus, exhibitions, programs and online presence. The submission entries of the competition winner, finalists and honorable mention recipients are currently on view on the Ground Floor of Cooper Hewitt.

In advance of their presentations to the judges, the three finalist teams traveled to Austin, Texas, for Mentor Weekend on May 5–6, to delve into design thinking and learn effective presentation techniques, which are critical to a successful design career. Mentor Weekend was held at Austin Center for Design with director Ruby Ku and founder Jon Kolko, as well as designers from Target, who also served as mentors.

“Our finalists gave us great optimism for the future and the next generation of designers,” said Caroline Baumann, director of Cooper Hewitt. “Their creativity, empathy and embrace of the competition—focusing on inclusive design thinking—moved all of us on the jury. This competition emphasizes the purpose of Cooper Hewitt—to inspire, educate and empower people through design. I look forward to seeing these talented young people make great change in the world.”

“At Target, our purpose is to help all families discover the joy of everyday life, so this particular challenge about inclusivity and access carried deep meaning for me,” said Todd Waterbury, Target’s chief creative officer and Cooper Hewitt trustee. “Challenged to make an everyday place, process, or object more accessible for all, the design entries were inspiring to me, and the entire jury. I’m continually impressed and encouraged by the vision and talent of what are the next generation of designers—and change makers.”

As part of the competition’s award and prizes, the winning team will visit Target’s headquarters in Minneapolis this summer and will attend the Teen Design Fair in New York during National Design Week, Oct. 13–21, the museum’s annual series of free education programs based on the vision and work of the National Design Award winners.

The 2019 National High School Design Competition will be announced in fall 2018. Information and resources will be available at www.cooperhewitt.org/designcompetition.

FINALISTS AND HONORABLE MENTIONS

The other finalists were Yunru (Daisy) Chen, 18, and Adam Margolis, 18, students of Design and Architecture Senior High in Miami, who proposed a pre-installed smartphone software that uses location, cellular signal and WiFi to connect to intercom systems and intercept audio announcements made in public places to improve alertness in spaces that may be a challenge to individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have hearing loss; and Will Compton, 18, Sean O’Neill, 18, and Eddie Smith, 18, students of San Luis Obispo High School in San Luis Obispo, California, who proposed the design of an octangular picnic table featuring an easily detachable seat that follows ADA standards and offers an inclusive experience to users in wheelchairs.

In addition to the three finalists, 13 honorable mention recipients were also named: Ellis Carter, 14, Avi Goel, 13, and Henry Pham, 14, from Silver Creek High School in San Jose, California; Nathan Childs, 17, and Brandon Dockery, 18, from Bel Air High School in Bel Air, Maryland; Joseph Consolo, 17, Lourdes Garcia, 17, and Karen Pena, 17, from Design and Architecture Senior High in Miami; Daniela Contreras, 17, Diego Macias, 16, and Marisol McEwan, 16, from Design and Architecture Senior High in Miami; Saniya Drake, 15, and Dzifa Searcy, 16, from Lindblom Math and Science Academy in Chicago; Erik Gomez, 17, Luanna Montes, 17, and Faith Sabar, 16, from Design and Architecture Senior High in Miami; Garrett Heskett, 17, and Madelene Stacey Villena, 18, from John F. Kennedy High School in Granda Hills, Calif.; Lilah Lichtman, 15, from The Park School of Baltimore in Baltimore; Mason Ross, 15, from John F. Kennedy Catholic High School in Burien, Wash.; Paulina Sanchez, 17, and Ruth Suarez, 17, from Design and Architecture Senior High in Miami; Ian Shang, 16, from University High School in Irvine, California; Sydney Strawn, 15, and Leah Weiser, 15, from La Jolla Country Day School in La Jolla, California; and Isabel Zischkau, 18, from Father Lopez Catholic High School in Daytona Beach, Florida.

THE JURY

The jury included Caroline Baumann, director, Cooper Hewitt; Keith Kirkland, CEO and co-founder, WearWork; Mike Milley, director of creative consulting, LA Studio, Designworks, a BMW Group Co.; Eleanor Morgan, SVP experience, Casper; Elise Roy, inclusive design strategist; Davin Stowell, CEO, Smart Design; and Todd Waterbury, chief creative officer, Target.

Organized by Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in collaboration with Target.

ABOUT COOPER HEWITT, SMITHSONIAN DESIGN MUSEUM

Founded in 1897, Cooper Hewitt is the only museum in the United States devoted exclusively to historic and contemporary design. Housed in the renovated and restored Carnegie Mansion, Cooper Hewitt showcases one of the most diverse and comprehensive collections of design works in existence. The museum’s restoration, modernization and expansion have won numerous awards and honors, including a Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award from the New York Landmarks Conservancy, a Gold Pencil Award for Best in Responsive Environments and LEED Silver certification. Ongoing exhibitions “Access+Ability” (through Sep. 3) and “The Senses: Design Beyond Vision” (through Oct. 28) provide a major platform for the growing movement toward accessibility and inclusive design, and are part of Cooper Hewitt’s greater, ongoing effort to broaden access and awareness to its campus, exhibitions, programs and online presence. From wheelchair accessibility to sign-language interpretation to touch tours and braille signage, the museum offers a variety of services for visitors who are deaf or have limited mobility or vision loss. Morning at the Museum, a free Smithsonian program for visitors with cognitive and sensory processing disabilities, takes place on select Saturdays one hour prior to the museum opening. The American Alliance of Museums Media and Technology Professional Network honored Cooper Hewitt with a 2018 MUSE Award for the accessible label system developed for “The Senses.”

Cooper Hewitt is located at 2 East 91st Street at Fifth Avenue in New York City. Hours are Sunday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Arthur Ross Terrace and Garden, accessible without an admissions ticket, opens at 8 a.m., Monday through Friday. The Tarallucci e Vino café is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The museum is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Public transit routes include the Lexington Avenue 4, 5 and 6 subways (86th or 96th Street stations), the Second Avenue Q subway (96th Street station), and the Fifth and Madison Avenue buses. Adult admission, $16 in advance via tickets.cooperhewitt.org, $18 at door; seniors, $10 in advance via tickets.cooperhewitt.org, $12 at door; students, $7 in advance via tickets.cooperhewitt.org, $9 at door. Cooper Hewitt members and children younger than age 18 are admitted free. Pay What You Wish every Saturday, 6 to 9 p.m. The museum is fully accessible.

For further information, call (212) 849-8400, visit Cooper Hewitt’s website at www.cooperhewitt.org and follow the museum on www.twitter.com/cooperhewitt, www.facebook.com/cooperhewitt and www.instagram.com/cooperhewitt.

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