Cranbrook Academy of Art Announces 2019-2020 Scholarship Recipients

The Cranbrook Academy of Art, alma mater of Florence Knoll and her many collaborators, announced the recipients of the 2019-2020 Florence Knoll Scholarship in Design. Named for the pioneering designer, the scholarship is awarded annually by Cranbrook faculty to a student enrolled at the academy.

A second-year student in the 3D Design Department, Kyle Joseph is from Miami, Florida and graduated from Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) in painting. Joseph chose to study at Cranbrook for its self-directed, studio-based curriculum. Prior to Cranbrook, he worked as a studio assistant to the German sculptor and visual artist Yngve Holen in Berlin.

Primarily focused on industrial production methods and materials in designing furniture and functional objects, Joseph seeks to explore how manufacturing has the ability to dictate form and visual qualities. Commenting on the themes, ideas and processes of his work, he states, “I aim to repurpose the materials, forms and methods of manufacturing used in [the technological, dental, automotive, marine, craft and toy industries] beyond their typical limits.”

In addition, Cranbrook announced the recipients of the Burton B. Stanair and Sidney Lapidus Scholarships. Henry Newell, a second-year student in the Print Media Department, won the 2019-2020 Burton B. Stanair Scholarship. Newell states that, while drawing is the foundation of his work, he believes in pushing the boundaries of modern tools and mixed media, commenting, “With so many new technologies that can be used for creative purposes, I think it’s important to experiment with as many mediums as possible, not only because this is the world we live in—one saturated with imagery and technology—but because I think the act of wildly experimenting is stimulating in a way that creates new brain activity and neurological connections.”

Finally, Antonia Stoyanovich, a second-year student in the Photography Department, won the 2019-2020 Sidney Lapidus Scholarship. Stoyanovich completed her BFA at the Cooper Union in New York City and worked for David Zwirner. This past summer, she participated in a residency at the Vermont Studio Center, inspiring her to shoot video content or “live portraits.”

In addition to Florence Knoll, notable Cranbrook alumni include Knoll designers Harry Bertoia, Eero Saarinen, Ralph Rapson and Masamichi Udagawa of Antenna Design.