News & Notices
Two YD&T Awards now Permanently Funded
Zelma H. Weisfeld presents the 2010 Award for Young Designers & Technicians which bears her name to Ariana Schwartz.
Chris Swetcky received the Frederick A. Buerki Golden Hammer Scenic Technology Award in 2011 from Bernhard R. Works.
Photos/R Finkelstein
With the arrival of the recent holiday season, the USITT Development Committee received some very welcome news. Two YD&T Awards received generous contributions sufficient to qualify these awards as being fully funded.
The two awards are the Costume Design & Technology Award, sponsored by Zelma H. Weisfeld, and the Frederick A. Buerki Golden Hammer Award, sponsored by Bernhard R. Works. As many people will recognize, both sponsors are USITT Fellows who have been extremely generous supporters of the Institute for many years.
Both are retired educators who have continued their career efforts to encourage and honor students who seek to excel in academic and production work. Ms. Weisfeld is professor emerita from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor where she taught costume design for many years. Dr. Works is professor emeritus from the University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana where he taught design and technical production. The Costume Design & Technology Award has been given annually since 1998. The Golden Hammer Award was first presented in 1999 and traditionally has included the presentation of an actual gold-painted hammer from Dr. Works.
These are just two of the nine YD&T awards that are given annually, and they bring to four the number of awards that are now fully funded. The other two are the KM Fabrics, Inc. Technical Production Award and the Robert E. Cohen Sound Achievement Award. The other five awards are currently made on a year-by-year basis. The USITT Development Committee is strongly committed in its efforts to convert these awards to a fully funded status, and as such can continue to recognize and celebrate the work of young students and professionals.
USITT thanks Ms. Weisfeld and Mr. Works for their generosity and salutes them both for their ongoing commitment to the New Century Fund and the future of USITT. All members are encouraged to express their personal appreciation to them in Charlotte.
