Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum announced First Lady Michelle Obama will celebrate the 2012 National Design Awards Friday, July 13, with a White House luncheon for the winners of the awards.
In support of the First Lady’s emphasis on education and outreach to the Washington, D.C., community, the award winners will participate in an education program for local high school students before the event.Mrs. Obama serves as the honorary patron for this year’s National Design Awards.
The annual National Design Awards celebrate design in various disciplines as a vital humanistic tool in shaping the world. The awards are accompanied each year by a variety of public education programs, including special events, panel discussions and workshops.
Several of the National Design Award winners will take part in a Teen Design Fair in Washington July 13, which serves to introduce high school students to careers in design. The students will meet one-on-one with leading designers in the fields of fashion, industrial design, architecture, multimedia and graphic design, including Richard Saul Wurman, Janine Benyus, Rebeca Méndez, Thom Browne, Evan Roth and Scott Wilson, among others. The Teen Design Fair will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. Students can learn more about attending the program and register online at www.cooperhewitt.org/education