Chrysler Design Awards Celebrate Ten Year Anniversary With Recognition Of Six "Design Champions"

NEW YORK, NY--(INTERNET WIRE)--Jul 10, 2002 -- Commemorating a decade of Chrysler Design Awards, the Chrysler brand will laud the achievements of six individuals who have consistently championed seminal works of architecture and design and significantly influenced modern American culture. These six "Design Champions" and their exceptional contributions will be revealed at a gala event on Tuesday, November 12. The celebration will be hosted at the Four Seasons Restaurant in the Seagram's Building, New York City.

"With the tenth anniversary of the Chrysler Design Awards, we have expanded our scope by celebrating the largely unrecognized, exemplary individuals who make design innovation and excellence possible and impact every area of American society," said Trevor Creed, senior vice president, product design, DaimlerChrysler. "By recognizing these Design Champions during this tenth anniversary, we are acknowledging that great design can only exist with the support of great leaders whose passion, tenacity, conviction and unique aesthetic enable the works of architects and designers."

Each year hereafter, Chrysler Design Awards will select one "Design Champion" in addition to a new class of six winners from its traditional program. "Design Champions" will span the public and private sectors and include business leaders, educators, curators, policy markers and cultural commentators.

The ceremony in November will also pay tribute to the remarkable design innovations of 54 past winners and the heritage of the Chrysler Design Awards. The Awards traditionally celebrate a commitment to innovation, excellence and sustained vision across design professions -- architecture, landscape architecture and graphic, fashion, interactive and product design.

Since 1993, the Chrysler Design Awards have recognized numerous visionaries, including Gaetano Pesce, Paula Scher, Frank O. Gehry, Kathryn Gustafson, Chuck Hoberman, Karim Rashid, Ted Muehling, Thom Mayne, Susan Kare, David M. Kelley and Stefan Sagmeister.

"Over the last nine years, Chrysler Design Awards has created what can be considered a critical talent mass: 54 individuals or teams have been inducted into the Awards 'Hall of Fame,'" said Creed. "This breadth of talent depicts an even richer picture of innovation and excellence in design during one of the most vital periods in the profession's history."

Limited Edition Design Trophy and Cash Prize

Six "Design Champions" will each be awarded $10,000 and presented with a limited edition trophy designed by 1993 winner Dr. Paul MacCready, founder of AeroVironment, Inc. and heralded as the "father of human-powered flight." In a departure from past years, MacCready, with his vast experience in designing airplanes and extensive study of wings, was challenged with creating a trophy that captured the spirit of the winged badge that is visible on all Chrysler vehicles.

Selection Process and Advisory Panel

Potential "Design Champions" were nominated by a broad-based committee of individuals within the architectural and design disciplines and then selected by an advisory panel. Led by Chrysler Design Awards co-chairs Chee Pearlman and Leslie Gill, the 2002 advisory panel includes Bob Fox, Fox and Fowle Architects; Richard Koshalek, president of Art Center College of Design; Reed Kroloff, immediate past editor in chief of Architecture; Maya Lin, principle of Maya Lin Studio; Mark Robbins, design director of the National Endowment for the Arts; Susan Szenasy, editor in chief of Metropolis; Emily Todd, The Houston Endowment, Inc.; Adele Chatfield-Taylor, president of the American Academy of Rome; Ric Grefe, director of the American Institute for Graphic Arts; David Kelley, founder and chairman of IDEO; Robert Krulwich, design and technology correspondent of ABC News; David Rockwell of the Rockwell Group; Jessie Scanlon, senior editor at Wired; and Mark Whitaker, editor of Newsweek.

For additional information on the Chrysler Design Awards and its recipients, please visit www.chryslerdesignawards.org.