The International Furnishings and Design Association (IFDA) announced this week that it has added two new scholarships to the established lineup of design-focused awards from its Educational Foundation (EF).
Since the early years of this 71-year-old global design-industry alliance, EF has awarded scholarships to high-achieving students as well as grants to talented professionals, internationally. Until now, EF's seven annual scholarships totaled $12,500, but the new additions—for students in either two- or four-year institutions—expand that number to $18,000.
The IFDA Philadelphia Scholarship ($2,500), supported by the Philadelphia Chapter, will be available to current full-time undergraduates who have completed four design courses in post-secondary education.
"We have created this scholarship to reflect the rich history of design education in Philadelphia and beyond," says Chapter Treasurer Robert Belchic, adding that "our scholarship will shift among four different disciplines annually, beginning with interior design and rotating to furniture, textile and graphic design, then back again, in each succeeding year."
"Rotating this scholarship focus among four categories allows us to show that IFDA is eager to honor different disciplines within or under the overall umbrella of interior design," says EF Director of Scholarships and Grants Karen Dzendolet.
Each Philadelphia Scholarship awardee will also receive a complimentary IFDA student membership.
"If the winner is local to any chapter, he or she will become affiliated with that group—if not, to a chapter nearby," Dzendolet says. "If there is no local or nearby chapter, the winning student can become an IFDA member at large."
The Barbara Beckmann Textile Design Scholarship ($3,000 for 2019) will be open to full- or part-time undergraduate as well as graduate students majoring in interior design, fashion design or a closely related field. Applicants must have completed at least four design courses in post-secondary education, with an emphasis on textile design or a closely related field.
This scholarship was established by IFDA's Northern California Chapter to honor the memory of Barbara Efting Beckmann, a textile designer celebrated for her vast knowledge of all aspects of fabric printing and styling processes that have shaped her career-long output of hand-painted fabrics and leathers.
"Barbara Beckmann designs have graced the interiors of hotels, palaces, embassies and yachts and private planes, along with the White House in Washington, D.C. and major properties around the world," explains Nancy L. Wolford, Vice President/Scholarships and Grants of the Northern California Chapter. "Barbara's expertise enabled her to adhere to the highest standards of quality in her work, while at the same time using environmentally friendly, all-natural fibers and non-toxic agents."
Applications for all 2019 EF scholarships will only be accepted during the month of March, with winners promised notification in July. For details, visit the Educational Foundation website at www.ifdaef.org. For answers to specific questions about these or any of EF's other scholarships and grants, contact Dzendolet at karen@kdzdesigns.com.
