IESNYC Announces Winners of 2010 NYC Student Lighting Competition The Illuminating Engineering Society, NYC Section (IESNYC) has announced the winners of the 2010 NYC Student Lighting Competition following its 10th annual awards reception held at The Helen Mills Theatre, New York City. Asked to develop a three-dimensional, abstract lighting composition to the theme "Liminal Luminosity," competing students took on the challenge of interpreting the numerous ways light facilitates, defines, or bridges a point of transition, while exploring the spatial, psychological, physiological, and temporal realms of their chosen concepts. Sixty-five students - hailing from Parsons The New School for Design, Fashion Institute of Technology, Columbia University, Pratt Institute, Fordham University, New York School of Interior Design, and NYU Tisch School of the Arts - found creative ways of interpreting the theme's exploration of light. Judges were impressed with the students' well-developed representations spanning the subtle and the powerful, and with the sophisticated complexity in their separation of materials. "This competition is a great way to study light in a well-constrained space as it challenges the students both conceptually and practically. It is a fine start for a career in lighting design," said keynote speaker Charles G. Stone II, IALD, IES, PLDA, LC, LEED AP. While defining the edge of light and the limits of luminosity to the audience, Stone endorsed this year's theme "Liminal Luminosity" to be worthy of the students' time and expressed hope that they found value in participating in this year's program. Stone, president of Fisher Marantz Stone, is a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society and Professional Lighting Designers Association, and a past president of the International Association of Lighting Designers. IESNYC Student Lighting Competition Committee Member Randy Sabedra of RS Lighting said, "We were very pleased to see students from such diverse disciplines excited about light. In addition to those from lighting design programs, students came to us from environmental policy, visual arts, stage and film lighting, architecture, interior design, visual arts, product design, photography and electrical engineering programs." Judges for the 2010 NYC Student Lighting Competition were: David Aguilo, Neil M. Denari Architects; Matthew Goodrich, associate, Rockwell Group; John Newman, senior associate, Kugler Ning, lighting design; Mitul Parekh, associate, LEED AP; Cline Bettridge, Bernstein Lighting Group; Glenn Shrum, owner of Flux Studio and US coordinator of the Professional Lighting Designers Association, PLDA. The award winners are as follows: First Place - Edge: Problems and Promise
J. Parkman Carter, Parsons The New School for Design
MFA Lighting Design and Architecture
Instructor: Nelson Jenkins Inspired by images of simple points from edges of boundry-ecological, geopolitical, and spiritual-Carter visually shows that simple edges demarcate everything that we encounter: body, threshold, building, and horizon. Each side of his box explored how light and edge leads us to and from darkness and to various ups-around-the bend. By dimming a single lamp source or by nudging the top half in relation to the bottom-half of the box, one could see the various edges begin to leak volumes of light. Parkman received a $2,000 cash award and a trip to the 2010 Professional Lighting Designer's Association (PLDA) "Practical Lighting Workshop" in Alingsås, Sweden. Second Place - Cusp
Suerrisa Blecher, New York School of Interior Design
AAS Interior Design
Instructor: Patricia DiMaggio Blecher was inspired while researching to find an alternative term for a point of transition. The study of light takes place between two intersecting arcs that contain red and blue LED lights; the point of transition is highlighted by the mixing of the red and blue lights of the intersecting arcs to form purple light. Blecher received a $1,000 cash award and a trip to the GE Lighting & Electrical Institute in Nela Park. Third Place - Liminally Enlightened
Megan Pfeffer, Parsons The New School for Design
MFA Lighting Design
Instructor: Nelson Jenkins Pfeffer's study explores Victor Turner's psychological theories on luminality. The installation takes you through the steps of liminal enlightenment by providing a "false" space in the reflections of the light that seem to continue forever. This environment fits Turner's description of a "liminal space;" as the light transforms the box into an infinite room of planes, it guides the viewer through the process of psychological transformation and self discovery. Pfeffer received a $500 cash award and a trip to the GE Lighting & Electrical Institute in Nela Park. Honorable Mention for Craftmanship - Magic
Brett Banakis and Bradley King, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Design for Stage & Film
Instructors: < b>Mary Louise Geiger and Barbara Cokorinos Honorable Mention for Use of Materials - Sublimination
Gabriela Grullan, Parsons The New School for Design
MFA Lighting Design
Instructor: Matthew Tanteri IESNYC gratefully acknowledged the following organizations for their support of the 2010 NYC Student Lighting Competition: Lead Sponsor - Bartco Lighting Supporters - Professional Lighting Designer's Association (PLDA), GE Lighting, Enterprise Lighting Sales Contributors - Acuity Brands, Boca Flasher, Elliptipar, ETC Architectural, Lightolier Other Donations - Lutron Electronics 
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