36th ARTS Awards Nominating Panel and Committee Announced

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

DALLAS – Dallas Market Center and ART, the creative home furnishings network, announces the ARTS Awards committee and nominating panel for the 36th ARTS Awards, the premier awards program dedicated to the home industry, taking place Friday, January 9, 2026, at the Hilton Anatole.

The ARTS Awards committee consists of three industry professionals charged with overseeing the nomination and selection of the ARTS Awards, including the categories of Academy of Achievement and HEARTS Award. They also serve on the nominating panel. The members of the committee are:
  • Teddie Garrigan, Co-Founder, Coco & Dash
  • Cindy Rogers, President, CSR Associates
  • Bob Ulrich, VP of Sales & Marketing, Currey & Company
The ARTS Awards nominating panel is made up of independent industry professionals who will review the hundreds of nominees. Their evaluations will determine the list of ARTS Awards finalists, who will subsequently submit their materials for judging in the fall. The members of the nominating panel are:
  • Saana Baker, Editor-in-Chief, The Textile Eye
  • Dorothy Belshaw, Independent Consultant
  • Beth Bender, Principal & Co-Founder, Dove Agency
  • Cherry Bernish, Dallas Metro Sales Representative, In-Detail
  • Laurie Burns, Executive Director, The Gift and Home Trade Association
  • Jenny Cano, Director, Interior Design Society
  • Patti Carpenter, Principal, Carpenter + Company
  • Asha Chaudhary, president and CEO, Jaipur Living
  • Todd Director, President, Connecticut Lighting Centers/Restoration Lighting Gallery
  • Caroline Hipple, HB2
  • Ruth Ann Janson, President, Head of Financial and Marketing Services, Dove Agency
  • Russ Jones, Design & Hospitality Sales Representative, Ivystone
  • Leslie Killingsworth, Senior Vice President Marketing and Merchandise, Progressive Lighting/Lee Lighting/Savoy House
  • Connie Lineberry, President, Connie Lineberry & Associates
  • Linda Longo, Editor-in-Chief, Lighting News Now
  • Monica Loving, Vice President Vendor Development, Ivystone
  • Jaye Anna Mize, VP Advisory + Partnerships, Future Snoops
  • Warren Shoulberg, Home Furnishings Journalist
  • Cheminne Taylor Smith, CEO, Cheminne.com
  • Mary Beth Zaehringer, Founder, MBR Public Relations
The ARTS Awards process starts with industry professionals, companies, and individuals submitting nominations online across various categories. An independent panel of experts reviews these nominations and selects a shortlist of finalists. Finalists then submit materials for evaluation by a separate judging panel. Winners are determined and will be announced at the ARTS Awards ceremony on January 9, 2026, where they are celebrated for their excellence. Neither membership in ART nor representation at Dallas Market Center is necessary to nominate or to be a finalist.To learn more about ARTS Awards, visit dallasmarketcenter.com/ArtsAwards/.

Gold media and organization sponsors for the ARTS Awards are: Designers Today, Furniture Today, Gifts & Decorative Accessories, Home Accents Today, and Home Textiles Today. Silver media and organization sponsors for the ARTS Awards are: Lighting News Now and Decor News Now. Bronze media and organization sponsors for the ARTS Awards are: Modern Luxury - Texas Interiors, PaperCity, Luxe Business of Home, Interior Design Society, Aspire Design and Home, and Sustainable Furnishings Council.

For upcoming markets, visit the Dallas Market Center website and download the Dallas Market Center mobile app. Also, keep up-to-date on all information by visiting Dallas Market Center on Facebook, Instagram , Twitter, the DMC Daily Dose, and use #ARTSAwards to stay connected.

For more information visit the ARTS Awards website. use #ARTSAwards to stay connected.

About ART

ART is the creative home furnishings network representing manufacturers, retailers, representatives and other individuals and companies interested in promoting and enhancing the market position of the home furnishings industry. Each year ART sponsors programs such as the ART conference, regional educational seminars, the ART card, and the ARTS Awards. The ART website is available at www.accessoriesresourceteam.org.

About Dallas Market Center
Dallas Market Center is a global business-to-business trade center and the leading wholesale marketplace in North America connecting retailers and interior designers with top manufacturers in lighting, home décor, furniture, gifts, and fashion. Inside its dynamic, five million square foot campus near downtown Dallas, nearly 200,000 customers from all 50 states and 85 countries seek industry trends, business education and new products via open-daily showrooms and from exhibitors participating in trade events held throughout the year. The Dallas Market Center website is available at dallasmarketcenter.com.
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