Boston, MA – Miguel Gómez‐Ibáñez, master furniture maker and President Emeritus of North Bennet Street School, has been selected as the recipient of the Boston Design Week 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award. The Society of Arts and Crafts, the oldest craft organization in the country, founded in 1897, is to be honored with the Producer’s Choice Award for their long-lasting impact on the design community and accomplishments in the field. Additional awards to be presented include the Mentor of the Year Award, co-sponsored by the Over My Shoulder Foundation; Newcomer of the Year, and the Social Impact Award. Nomination submissions are open until March 15th. For additional nomination guidelines and to submit a nomination visit www.bostondesignweek.com/awards.

The 7th Annual Boston Design Week is a 12-day city-wide design festival featuring 80 events, March 25 – April 5.  The Boston Design Week 2020 Awards, co-sponsored by Artists for Humanity, takes place Friday, April 3 from 5:30 to 8:30pm at the Artists for Humanity EpiCenter in Boston and is open to the public. Attendees will be treated to a catered event, special displays, “Dancing with the Designers” and more while networking with Design Week participants, sponsors, leadership committee, media, and invited guests. VIP admission begins at 5:30pm and tickets are $250. The Awards celebration will commence at 6:30pm and continue till 8:30pm. Tickets for the Awards Celebration are $50. Cocktail attire is encouraged for this 21+ event. Parking will be available at the adjacent parking garage for $8. For tickets and additional event information visit https://bdw2020awards.eventbrite.com. Nominations are Open until March 15th for three additional awards, to be announced at the event:

The Mentor of the Year Award is given to an outstanding role model in any design field who encourages involvement in professional opportunities and provides exemplary guidance or training in their discipline to students, staff members, colleagues or the public.  The Mentor of the Year Award is co-sponsored by The Over My Shoulder Foundation.

The Newcomer of the Year Award is given to an outstanding individual (or individuals) in any design field, who has launched a new product, design process, design business or other innovation within the past 5 years. The Newcomer of the Year Award is co-sponsored by Autodesk.

The Social Impact Award is given to an outstanding individual, project, development, innovation or business in any design field that has contributed a design solution large or small to any urgent issue facing our world: societal, environmental, economic, health and wellness, poverty and hunger, affordability, sustainability or other.   

The Boston Design Week Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to an outstanding individual in the world of design whose work has spanned both the 20th and 21st centuries. Past Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients include nationally and locally recognized figures in the world of design including Vladimir Kagan, Dakota Jackson, as well as Massimo and Lella Vignelli. Last year’s recipient was Roger Thomas, designer of numerous casinos for Wynn Design and Development including his latest, the Encore Boston Harbor.

Miguel Gómez‐Ibáñez is the only graduate of North Bennet Street School (NBSS) to ever have served as President. During his tenure, NBSS completed a $28 million development project that moved the school from its historic home of 132 years on North Bennet Street, to a new 60,000 SF facility in Boston’s North End. After completing the building project in 2015 free of debt, the school successfully completed a $20 million capital campaign to establish an endowment to support student scholarships.

Prior to attending North Bennet Street School’s Cabinet and Furniture making program, he was the founding principal of a Boston architectural practice specializing in historic preservation and design for people with special needs. He leveraged his 20 years-experience as an architect with his North Bennet Street School training as a cabinet maker to become a nationally recognized designer and maker of studio furniture. His work has been featured in House and Garden, Good Housekeeping, American Craft, Fine Woodworking among other publications, and has been exhibited in galleries and museums across the country.  He is the author of numerous articles and essays on furniture and design. He is a former president of The Furniture Society and currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and the American Craft Council.

All Boston Design Week programs are open to the public, and most are free of charge, but many do require an RSVP to attend. For more information or to receive the Boston Design Week newsletter and calendar of events, visit www.BostonDesignWeek.com. Follow along on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bostondesignweek, Twitter @BosDesignWeek, or Instagram @BostonDesignWeek.

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Editors Note:   - Media coverage is invited.

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