The panel of judges, comprised of home industry experts, convene in November for an intensive review of finalists’ submissions. They spend hours carefully evaluating each submission based on category specific criteria. In addition to industry judges there is also peer voting from current ART membership which can add up to 5 bonus points to the finalists scores. After judges submit their scores and ART members vote, the results are tabulated by an independent accounting firm and the list of winners is kept confidential until the ARTS Awards gala.

The judges independently review and score each submission on criteria established by the ARTS Awards Committee. The 5 judges represent various industry backgrounds and a 6th judge representing the Sustainable Furnishings Council reviews the manufacturer presentations to determine the Green Award winner. The winners in each category and the Academy of Achievement and HEARTS Award honorees are announced in January during the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market.

34th Annual ARTS Awards Judges

Patti Carpenter, Principal, Carpenter & Company

Patti is Principal of carpenter + company and an award- winning Designer in globally sourced home décor, accessories, fragrance, and gifts, with experience in product design and development, merchandising and color + trend forecasting. As a Micro-Enterprise specialist with U.S. presidential recognition for domestic and international expertise in artisan development, small producer and entrepreneurial training and economic development.

Courtney Garrigan, Co-Owner, Coco & Dash

She is one half of the dynamic partnership whose personal and creative style is the foundation for the award-winning home decor retail shop, Coco & Dash. While Courtney has developed a signature style that embodies beauty and function, she has a propensity for quirky touches seamlessly incorporated with classic elements. Passionate about her love of color and imperfection in design she brings a fresh approach to retail and interior design.

Rebecca Miller, CEO, ARTful Communications/OMAGGIO STUDIO

Rebecca is an executive with a track record of building market share for companies seeking growth. She is recognized for her vision, innovation, and excellence in brand development and for achieving operational efficiencies and revenue performance improvements. Her passions include art, architecture, food and wine, animals, world culture and is an avid traveler.

Leslie Newby, Founder & CEO, WorkTheBrand™

Leslie Newby is a communications professional with expertise in the residential and commercial furnishings and design sectors. She founded WorkTheBrand in 2005 to partner with companies and organizations in the residential and commercial furnishings and design sectors seeking PR and marketing communications expertise.

Warren Shoulberg, Business Journalist and Contributing Editor, Home Furnishings Journalist

Warren Shoulberg knows home furnishings. He has been a regular contributor to The Robin Report, Forbes.com, The Business of Home and Home Textiles Today as well as his own blog Warrensreport.com. As the former editor-in-chief for several leading business-to-business publications specializing in home furnishings retailing he has chronicled the good, the bad and the ugly of the business in an award-winning career spanning four decades.

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He has guest lectured at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business and been honored by the International Furnishings and Design Association, Gift for Life and the Fashion Institute of Technology. He has been cited by the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, ABC News and other media as an expert in the field.

Scarlette Tapp, Executive Director, Sustainable Furnishings Council and Sustainable Furnishings Educational Fund

Scarlette exclusively serves as the Green Award judge and reviews only the manufacturing finalists’ submissions. She is a nonprofit professional with extensive experience in fundraising, communications, and strategic planning. Throughout her nonprofit career, she has worked with organizations in the sectors of nature conservancy, the arts, and education. Scarlette's track record for building capacity has served nonprofits in Western NC and Upstate SC for over 13 years.