Erie Art Museum Announces Grand Prize Winner InnovationErie Design Competition 2014

Erie, PA, October 03, 2014 --(PR.com)-- In its sixth year, InnovationErie Design Competition announced the Grand Prize winner in an award ceremony at the Erie Art Museum on Friday, September 26 during Gallery Night. Four top finalists moved on to the final phase of competition earlier this month to contend for over $30,000 in cash and assistance prizes from InnovationErie partners.

InnovationErie Design Competition was created in an effort to catalyze creative economic development in Northwest Pennsylvania by supporting an innovative community of artists, scientists, artists, manufacturers, engineers, and designers (SAM & ED). The competition invited artists, inventors and thinkers to submit their product design ideas and applied media arts concepts for a chance to win over $30,000 in cash and professional assistance prizes, including intellectual property legal consulting services from McDonald, Illig, Jones & Britton LLP, and consulting partnerships with the Erie Technology Incubator at Gannon University, Papa Advertising, and a new design-excellence award from Edinboro University.

David Willoughby, patent attorney at MacDonald, Illig, Jones & Britton LLP, was pleased to present the Grand Prize to Fran DiSanti. DiSanti also won the Public Choice Award, chosen through public ballots during the exhibit run at the Erie Art Museum this past summer. A full list of awards for the Grand Prize winner is found at erieartmuseum.org.

Prizes were also awarded to Dale and Susan Hofius for “RailRyder,” (second place), Jill Fosco’s “Makeup SomethingTM” (third place), and Chuck Kownacki “Barefoot Decking” (fourth place). All cash and professional service award details are found at InnovationErie.net/submit.

“This year’s semi-finalist contestants were by far the most professional, developed, and competitive pool of entries than years past,” said InnovationErie committee chair and patent attorney at MacDonald, Illig, Jones & Britton LLP, David Willoughby. “The final round of judging in September was very tough. We have four very-strong contestants that exemplify the spirit of our design competition.”

To recognize the value of aesthetics in the design process, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania also offered “Design Excellence Awards” to semi-finalists in the 2014 Competition. These awards were created to encourage the integration of aesthetic considerations at the inception of the design process, as an inherent part of the functionality and quality of the manufactured object.

Andy Flatley received a $250 runner-up EUP Design Excellence Award for his “Wonderphonium,” which amplifies music from MPV players, Ipods and cell phones via a nostalgic, miniature gramophone “horn.” Woodworker Brian Millspaw, a consummate craftsman, received a second $250 runner-up EUP Design Excellence Award for his elegant table and chairs. Sarah Brown received the $1,000 first-place EUP Design Excellence Award for her "Upcycled Plush Toys" that she designs and sews from second-hand sweaters.

The 2014 InnovationErie sponsors and partners include: Erie Art Museum, McDonald Illig Jones and Britton LLP, Papa Advertising, Franklin Technology Partners, Epic Web Studio, Erie Tech Incubator, NWIRC, Edinboro University, Eriez Magnetics, Penn State Erie-- The Behrend College, Adam Williams, Esq & Erie Business Law, Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership, Schaffner Knigh Minnaugh & Company, Civitas, IEEE.

A complete list of the winners’ services and cash prizes, as well as InnovationErie sponsors, can be found on the competition’s website, InnovationErie.net. The deadline for next year’s competition is May 15, 2015. Interested candidates can apply at InnovationErie.net.