They say, “when you love what you do, you never have to work a day in your life,” and that is the exact, motivational sentiment that most of the award recipients touched upon at the podium – having the privilege to do what they love as a career! Star on the Rise Award Recipient, Courtney McLeod stated, “I am a career changer, and I came to design later in life, and I feel so blessed and so grateful to be able to truly do what I love and to actually get paid to do it!”
A night of celebration took place at the creative and elegant D&D building, that is bursting with extravagant showrooms that house the work of over 500,000 luxury interior designers annually! D&D presented the “Stars of Design” and “Stars on the Rise Awards,” while overlooking the Manhattan skyline, as guests enjoying live jazz music, and sipped on delicious cocktails.
Star of Design, Graphic Designer, Kervin Briseaux stated, “I’m award-winning now! That’s pretty funny! I mean there’s not much to say, other than a series of ‘thank yous,’ starting with my parents, who basically came to this country, over 30 years ago, hoping for a better future for their kids, and basically, this is the result of all your hard work right here, so I love you, and thank you very much, mom and dad. Thank you to my wife, who has endured countless nights of me working late, and I know it was a lot of patience on your part, to appreciate the hard work that went into me trying to discover myself through the artistic journey that I have gone through, as you’ve heard through the brief bio that you’ve heard, so many thanks, I love my wife dearly, as well!”
Stars on the Rise’s Award Recipient, Keita Turner, stated, “wow this is…I feel like this is my Academy Award moment…”
Stars of Design Award Recipients:
Art: Laura Haleman; Photographer: Tim Tadder; Graphic Design: Kervin Brisseaux; Product Design: Vonnegut Kraft; Landscape Design: Nelson Byrd Woltz; Architecture: Axis Mundi; and Lifetime Achievement, Interior Design: Brian McCarthy.
Stars on the Rise Award Recipients:
Courtney McLeod, Chiara De Rege, Michelle Murphy, Robert Ventolo, and Keita Turner.
