'Collaboration is key'
The state with the highest concentration of industrial designers is also home to an institution steeped in innovation. Now, Dearborn, MI’s iconic Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation—the site of IDSA’s 36th annual International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) and Gala—has been honored with the IDSA Special Award 2016. On behalf of the museum, The Henry Ford’s Chief Curator and IDEA 2016 Juror Marc Greuther accepted the award from IDSA Board of Directors Chair John Barratt at the IDSA Awards during the IDSA International Conference in nearby Detroit.
“The Henry Ford is an internationally recognized cultural destination that immerses more than one-and-a-half-million visitors a year in stories of ingenuity, resourcefulness and innovation,” says Barratt. “The museum is a national historic landmark with an unparalleled collection of artifacts from 300 years of US history. IDSA values the generosity of The Henry Ford as a valuable IDEA partner in support of design excellence.”
The IDSA Special Award recognizes organizations and projects for notable results; creative and innovative concepts—and long-term benefits to the profession, its educational functions and society at large. Such collaboration is key to IDEA—as each year—the global experts who make up the IDEA jury convene for several days at The Henry Ford, poring over IDEA finalists and deeming winners in about two dozen design categories in one of the world’s most rigorous and prestigious design competitions. A selection of IDEA winners also is showcased in an exhibit at The Henry Ford, which is a National Historic Landmark.
“We truly value our long-standing partnership with IDSA; therefore, it’s an honor to be the 2016 recipient of the IDSA Special Award,” says Patricia Mooradian, president of The Henry Ford. “We have had the distinct pleasure of hosting the final rounds of judging for IDEA since 2010, and we look forward to many more years working with IDSA and showcasing the important work and accomplishments of some of the world’s greatest industrial designers today.”
The Henry Ford provides unique educational experiences based on authentic objects, stories and lives from America’s traditions of ingenuity, resourcefulness and innovation—with the purpose of inspiring people to learn from these traditions to help shape a better future.