A Night at the Museum

Honoring Stephen Burks, the recipient of Collab’s 2023 Design Excellence Award

***Stephen Burks*** *accepting the Collab 2023 Design Excellence Award. Photo by HughE Dillon.*

On November 18, 2023, designer Stephen Burks was honored by Collab at the Philadelphia Museum of Art with the Design Excellence Award (DEA). In addition to receiving a physical award - a mobius strip made from laser-etched rubber and silver - Burks was recognized for his works at the intersection of contemporary design and traditional global craft. Interested in applying methods and materials of handcrafted techniques to industrial design, Burks seeks a new design language of manufactured objects that show evidence of the hand, while honoring craftspeople and maker cultures from around the world.

***View of the exhibit “Stephen Burks: Shelter in Place”****. Photo by HughE Dillon.*

The opening of the accompanying exhibit “Stephen Burks: Shelter in Place” also kicked off with an enthusiastic crowd of design enthusiasts from the region. The audience was also treated to a special conversation between Stephen and PMA curator Alisa Chiles, who revealed Stephen’s design process and approach to making, especially through the lens of design education and sharing cross cultural dialogues.