For 26 years, Hagopian has fostered educational excellence in design with their Student Rug Design Competition, offering scholarships and donations to local colleges.This year’s theme focused on a Detroit “Jewel” for inspiration - Belle Isle. The island enjoys a long, rich local history dating back to the 1600’s when the Pottawotami Indians discovered the island. Today it is home to exquisite architecture and gardens, is the perfect setting for recreational activities like hiking, biking, picnicking and swimming, offers nature-based educational programs, and hosts major events like the Detroit Grand Prix.
College for Creative Studies students were asked to consider the history, the landscape, the revitalization and the connections shaped by the island to create a design that reflects the island and its contributions to our city, our state and our lives.
This year, the designs submitted were executed with such imagination, inspiration and precision that the judges had a difficult time selecting just three winners and chose to award three honorable mentions as well.
First place – submitted by student Casey Follen, Senior, College for Creative Studies
Casey states that his inspiration was the iconic architecture of the Anna Scrips Whitcomb Conservatory on Belle Isle.
Second place – Katherine Chmielewski, Freshman, Interior Design
Katherine found her inspiration in the beautiful glasswork in the Belle Isle Conservatory.
Third place – Amy Ferguson, Senior, Illustration
Amy drew her inspiration from the history of Belle Isle, once called “The White Swan”
