Dallas Market Center announced last week that Clodagh and Joe Ruggiero, distinguished members of the home design community, will present 21st annual ARTS awards during a gala event on January 16, 2010. The ARTS Awards, comprised of more than 25 categories, is the premier awards program for the home decorative accessories industry and is held each January during the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market.
Five-time ARTS Awards winners are inducted into the Hall of Fame, and include BJ’s Home Accents, C.S. Wo & Sons, Distinctive Designs International Inc., Feizy Rugs, Fine Art Lamps, Montaage, Natural Decorations Inc., Palecek, Robb & Stucky and Schonbek Worldwide Lighting.
Clodagh, an Irish-born designer based in New York City, is the founder of Clodagh Designs, an interior and architectural design firm. As one of Manhattan’s premiere design firms, Clodagh Designs is involved in projects such as the Menla Mountainhouse, a spa and recreation center dedicated to Tibetan medicine and the award-winning Caledonia, Manhattan’s first luxury residential building on the High Line. She is dedicated to combining sustainability, functionality and beauty in both architecture and design. Another important aspect of her business is Clodagh Signature, the industrial design department responsible for helping her create function and beauty in her many projects. She also maintains the Clodagh Collection, an on-site showroom featuring her private label as well as design pieces from other vendors and artists.
Next year will mark her 25th year of award-winning design in New York City. Clodagh has been recognized with awards such as Interior Design’s Top 100 Interior Designers, Robb Report’s Top 40 Interior Designers, and is an inductee of the prestigious Interior Design Hall of Fame as well as the Hospitality Design Platinum Circle.
Joining Clodagh is Joe Ruggiero, head of Joseph Ruggiero & Associates, an independent multi-media group specializing in home design. In addition he is the host and producer of numerous home design shows on Home & Garden Television (HGTV). As one of America’s most trusted design authorities, Ruggiero identifies what consumers are looking for and helps them achieve their vision in an aesthetic and practical way. His experience as director of advertising and creative director at Ethan Allen, national spokesperson for Kohler, and editor-in-chief of Hatchett’s Home Magazine have furthered his success in targeting consumers through media. Past home design segments on ABC’s “Good Morning America” and PBS’s “This Old House” credit Ruggiero with bringing the subject of home design to network television. Also, he is currently in development for a new PBS series slated to air in fall 2010.
Ruggiero launched his award-winning Home Collection in 2000 and will celebrate its 10th anniversary this next year. He designs for Casa Fiora, Craftmade International, Gat Creek, Miles Talbott, Sunbrella and W. King Ambler. Ruggiero’s designs have warranted accolades from the home furnishings design industry including the American Society of Furniture Designers Pinnacle Award, The American Furniture Award for Outstanding Achievement in Furniture Design, and the Apex Platinum Award for textile design.
Other presenters at the ARTS Awards include Dallas Market Center president and CEO, Bill Winsor and COO Cindy Morris. Sharon Davis, executive director of ART and Bill Fortson, 2010- 2011 president of ART and member of the ARTS Awards Hall of Fame, will both represent the ARTS team as award presenters in January.
Each January, Dallas Market Center hosts the Total Home & Gift Market featuring multiple markets held simultaneously so that buyers may select from the widest range of product categories: Dallas Total Home & Gift Market (January 13-19), Dallas Holiday & Home Expo (January 13-19), Dallas International Lighting Market (January 14-18), and the FINDS Dallas Temp Show (January 15-18). Attendees may contact the Dallas Market Center’s in-house travel agency, Market Travel®, for substantial travel and hotel discounts or by calling 1-800-DAL-MKTS.
