The exhibition “The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design,” on view at the Georgia Museum of Art through January 3, features 40 exquisite chairs from the past 200 years. They function as seats but also as works of art. In celebration of this exhibition and UGA’s Spotlight on the Arts, the museum invites you to participate in a newspaper chair design contest. All ages are encouraged to enter.
Your newspaper chair design should meet the following criteria:
- Use only materials from the supply list.
- Support a favorite stuffed animal.
Supply list:
- Newspaper
- Strapping: like tape, string, rope, ribbon, luggage straps, etc.
- Optional: power drill and screws (approx. 1.5 to 2 inches long)
- Optional: decoration, including paint, markers, crayons, etc.
Submissions are due by end of day November 16 and should be submitted through this form(opens in new tab). The winning chair should be both functional and a work of art. Judges will announce the winner November 18. First place prize is a $50 gift certificate to the Museum Shop. The top three chairs will be featured on the museum’s social media.
Our judges are:
- Dale L. Couch, our curator of decorative arts at the museum and a chair enthusiast and expert
- Chris Sugiuchi, STEM teacher at Chase Street Elementary School
- Briony Brown, local 5th-grader and museum kid, who taught us about newspaper chairs and inspired this project
- Callan Steinmann, the museum’s curator of education
- Lilia Gomez-Lanier, associate professor of textiles, merchandising and interiors at UGA, whose students are designing chairs this semester
There are many designs online to inspire you, and creativity is encouraged. Here is an example of one way to make a newspaper chair.(opens in new tab)
Authored by:
Hillary Brown
