Introducing Spofford’s 2019 Show
Why a group furniture show?
Spofford had a vision for a future in which these people thrived in ways that are at present unlikely or even unimaginable. Since our formal incorporation over a year ago, we’ve explored and discovered a world of ideas and talented individuals who are creating a new future for themselves and their communities, whether creating furniture or purchasing it. And we’ve recommitted to our initial, guiding principles as well as incorporated new ones thanks to communities and philosophies that were already humming and which gave shape to these intuitions.
Spofford is at the intersection of several communities, including the amazing network of New England furniture designers and craftspeople. Giving back to this community and promoting their world class work is the least we can do for the inspiration they’ve given us. And among the ideas that most excite us are regionality, human-centeredness, and the circular economy. Together these ideas, while unfamiliar to many, overlap to represent Spofford’s burgeoning design philosophy, almost a year in the making.
Spofford’s next big project is a juried group show, but we don’t see it as a competition per se. Instead, we hope participants and spectators alike see it as an opportunity to explore the intersection of these exciting ideas. Perhaps even more importantly though, we see it as an opportunity for Spofford to share the locally-grown embodiment of these forward-thinking ideas with the rest of the world.
We hope you’ll join us as either a designer with a submission (or maybe a few, there’s no limit to how many you can submit!) or as someone passionate about great furniture or about regional craft and design. Use the coupon code “NOVV” when publishing your design to get a $10 discount. If you’re a spectator, stay tuned for the opportunity to engage with designers and provide feedback on their work, and work to together to reimagine how we create home furnishings.
The Skinny
Question: Can furniture designers working at the intersection of the circular economy, human-centeredness, and regionality imagine a new generation of furniture?
Plan: A juried furniture show to support New England furniture designers and craftspeople interested in exploring these ideas and elevate the discussion of how we engage with and produce furniture.
Timeline: Submissions are due by midnight, December 23rd, 2018. Designers will have the opportunity to respond to feedback from the judges and the public in order to iterate on their designs until February 10, 2019. Judges will choose outstanding submissions to produce a physical prototype with access to Spofford’s crowdfunding platform. Finished prototypes will be featured in a group show that will travel to multiple venues throughout New England in April, 2019.
Prizes: Financial support for creating physical prototypes, as well as consideration for a place in the traveling group show and companion catalogue. Awards for first, second, and third place, and the opportunity to have the design produced at scale by Spofford as a part of its inaugural furniture collection and an accompanying value added payment for each unit sold.
Fees: $25 for the first 3 designs, $5 for each additional design.
Details: View the call for submissions or visit Spofford’s page for the show.
