Maria Mullen to Receive ARTS Awards
Academy of Achievement Honor

DALLAS – September 20, 2023 – Dallas Market Center and ART, the creative home furnishings network, have announced that Maria Mullen, CEO of Hubbardton Forge, will receive the Academy of Achievement honor at the 34th ARTS Awards taking place at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas on Friday, January 12, 2024. The ARTS Awards, presented annually during the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market, celebrates preeminent manufacturers, retailers, interior designers, product designers, and sales representatives.

“Maria’s decades of leadership are respected across the lighting and home industries,” said Cindy Morris, president and CEO of Dallas Market Center. “Her positive impact on the business is significant, her mentorship is outstanding, and she continues to be a visionary leader.”

Sharon Davis, executive director of ART, added: “It’s an honor to present the Academy of Achievement to someone who has added so much value to the industry through her career achievements, but also through her commitment to industry organizations and philanthropic efforts.”

Maria Mullen has served as CEO of Hubbardton Forge since 2020. The 50-year-old company produces made-to-order lighting in its 100,000 square foot facility in Castleton, VT. Maria began her career in the fashion and sporting goods industries. Stints at Bruno Magli and Gianni Versace as well as Champion Products and Ewing Athletics took her around the world and exposed her to everything from professional sports to high fashion. In 1998 Maria joined Murray Feiss, now part of Visual Comfort & Co. Her eye for design and her sales acumen led founder Murray Feiss to add her to the company's design committee, where she helped the company to even greater success. In 2005 Maria left Murray Feiss and joined The Uttermost Company as VP of Sales. She led the company's initiative into fixed lighting and introduced their first lighting line in January of 2007. In 2009 she returned to Murray Feiss, then a Generation Brands company at the behest of then President, Greg Vandia. The company had suffered during the Great Recession and she spearheaded the rebuilding by, once again, focusing the company on great product and customer service. In 2011 she was elevated to President of the newly formed Feiss/Monte Carlo. In 2013 Maria departed Feiss/Monte Carlo and founded Kalizma Home with her partner Barb Cote. Kalizma Home is a design consultancy firm that designs and develops private label lighting products for many industry partners. In 2020 Maria turned over control of Kalizma to Barb to join Hubbardton Forge.

In addition to her corporate leadership, Maria has been committed to industry organizations and charitable organizations. She is an active participant in ALA, Women in Lighting, and WITHIT. She currently serves on The Dallas Market Center's Lighting Board of Governors. For more than 20 years she has worked tirelessly for the H Foundation, a charitable organization that raises funds for basic cancer research. She sits on their Board of Directors. In 2021 Maria, with the H Foundation, launched a special fund to raise awareness and money for research into BRCA in memory of her friend Karen Krieger.

In addition to the Academy of Achievement, there are dozens of category awards being presented at the ARTS Awards to retailers, manufacturers, designers and sales representatives. All 34^th ARTS Awards finalists can be viewed here. Reservations for the ARTS Awards open October 4th. Tickets will be $170 for ART members and $200 for non-members. Discounted rates for full tables of (8) and (10) guests are also available.

Sponsors for the 34^th ARTS Awards include Aspire Design & Home; Furniture, Lighting & Décor; Business of Home; Home Accents Today; Décor News Now; Houstonia; Home Textiles Today; Designers Today; Furniture Today; Gifts & Decorative Accessories; Modern Luxury Interiors; Paper City; Interior Design Society, and Sustainable Furnishings Council.

For more information, visit the ARTS Awards website. Keep up-to-date with Dallas Market Center events and happenings on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and use #ARTSAwards to stay connected.

To make plans for upcoming markets, visit the Dallas Market Center website and download the Dallas Market Center and Lightovation Apps. Also, keep up-to-date on all information by visiting Dallas Market Center on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the DMC Blog.

About the ARTS Awards
The ARTS Awards is the premier international awards program dedicated to the home industry. Up to 28 categories exist under the headings Manufacturer, Retailer, Product Designer, Interior Designer, Sales Representative, Green Award, and other specialty honors. Anyone in the industry can nominate including manufacturers, retailers, sales representatives, designers, suppliers, consultants, and other industry officials. Companies that have won an ARTS Award five times are inducted into the Hall of Fame. Current Hall of Fame members are: Arteriors Home, Beatriz Ball, Bella Casa, BJ’s Home Accents, C.S. Wo & Sons, Distinctive Designs International Inc., Elements at Home, Feizy Rugs, Fine Art Lamps, Global Views, HW Home, Loloi Rugs, Montaage, Natural Decorations Inc., Palecek, Paragon, Phillips Collection, Robb & Stucky, Schonbek Worldwide Lighting, Seasonal Living, and Vietri.

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 home décor, furniture, gifts, lighting and fashion. Inside its dynamic, five million square foot campus, nearly 200,000 customers from all 50 states and 85 countries seek industry trends, business education and new products from exhibitors throughout the year via dominant trade events for gift, home décor, holiday and floral; the nation’s most comprehensive apparel and accessories markets featuring the latest styles from East Coast and West Coast designers; the world’s largest western marketplace, opening in 2021; the largest residential lighting trade event in North America; and the largest and most successful open-daily design center. The marketplace is located in the strongest economic zone in the country. In addition, more than 80 percent of Dallas Market Center buyers report that they do not shop other market centers. To make plans for upcoming markets, visit the Dallas Market Center website and download the Dallas Market Center and Lightovation Apps. Also, keep up-to-date on all information by visiting Dallas Market Center on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the Dallas Market Center blog.

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