On April 25, Alchemy Awards honor people making Houston better by design

Houston—April 16, 2008—Houstonians on the leading edge of design will be honored at a press conference for the Houston Alchemy Awards on Friday, April 25 at 10:30 a.m. (www.alchemyawards.org) Elected officials, business leaders and Houston’s creative community will congratulate winners at the Skyline Bar & Grill on the 24th Floor of the Hilton-Americas, 1600 Lamar Street.

“Design professionals and their work are driving forces in Houston’s economy today,” said Mayor Bill White, as he proclaimed World Day of Design in Houston. “Their creativity generates the energy that makes Houston a place where people want to be.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 5,000 Houstonians work in the design industry, with an annual payroll exceeding $334 million.

“Creative professionals are on the front lines of making Houston a city with a quality of life that will be attractive to residents and employees of the future,” Mayor White added. “Every major metropolitan area is competing to attract these desirable new residents.”

Mayor White, Houston City Councilman Peter Brown, and the Mayor’s Assistant for Cultural Affairs, Emily Todd, joined a group of creative professionals spanning architecture, fashion, graphic arts, publishing and urban design who aim to make Houston as synonymous with good design as with oil, space flight and medicine.

“Design is an essential part of everything we create as a society, from apparel to products, structures to communication. The Alchemy Awards is an important step toward recognizing Houston companies utilizing design as a strategic business decision to improve the quality of our lives,” said Jim Mousner, founder of Origin, a Houston-based creative firm and presenting sponsor of the Alchemy Awards.

A distinguished jury selected the 2008 Alchemy Award honorees. The judges were: Diane Barber, Co-Executive Director, DiverseWorks Art Space; Chloe Dao, Fashion Designer and Creator, Lot 8 Boutique; Craig Minor, Principal, Minor Design and Designer, CITE magazine; Kellye Sanford, Senior Designer and Illustrator, Gloss magazine, Houston Chronicle; Barrie Scardino, Executive Director, AIA Houston; Jason L. Stuart, Executive Director, Urban Land Institute Houston; Emily Todd, Mayor’s Assistant for Cultural Affairs.

Alchemy Awards are given in four categories in which design has the greatest potential to improve quality of life for the most people: Food, Shelter, Health, and Energy. A fifth category, Catalyst, honors a champion of good design who has created a lasting legacy in Houston. Criteria for Alchemy Award nomination include: Creative Excellence, Innovation, Business Success, Environmental Responsibility and Community Impact.

World Day of Design in Houston is the local version of an observance held each April around the world. In celebration of World Day of Design, an independent jury of design industry leaders selected Houston Alchemy Awards honorees to recognize companies, institutions and individuals transforming the ordinary into the exemplary through excellent design in all applications.

For more information, visit www.alchemyawards.org or contact Ann Taylor or Sahar Wali at Origin, 713-520-9544.