Image: Zoe Umholtz

Oregon College of Art and Craft is proud to announce the selection of five students in the College’s degree program as NICHE Student Award Finalists. The students include:

Jimin Lee- Functional Ceramics
Zoe Umholtz- Fiber Wearable
Emma Maruska- Fiber Decorative
Tricia Hoffman- Fashion Accessories and Wood
Amanda Wall-Graf- Furniture

The NICHE Awards is an annual competition that celebrates excellence and innovation in the American craft industry. Founded in 1990, the Awards recognize the outstanding creative achievements of American craft artists who produce work for craft galleries and retail stores. The NICHE Student Awards program was introduced in 1996 to showcase the exceptional craft art created by students of the nation’s art schools and programs.

This year, NICHE magazine received nearly 900 student entries from over 100 schools throughout the U.S. and Canada. Judging criteria are based on two main distinctions:
• technical excellence and creativity, both in surface design and form
• a distinct quality of unique and original, and creative thought

Winners of the NICHE Student Awards will be announced at a ceremony during the Philadelphia Buyers Market of American Craft in February 2010. The Awards are sponsored by NICHE magazine, the exclusive trade publication for North American retailers of American crafts.