Art Institute of Atlanta: 770-394-8300; new.artinstitutes.edu.
Details about the Decorator Showhouse, running through May 10: www.decoratorsshowhouse.org; 404-996-2954.
Atlantans have a reputation for loving their homes, be they new or in need of a makeover. Whipping those abodes - as well as hotels, restaurants and offices - into fashionable shape often requires the expertise of an interior designer. For 50 years, many of those jobs been done by students and graduates from the Art Institute of Atlanta in Dunwoody.
“We train people to take the initial steps, teaching them to create interior spaces, select furniture and finishes, and to pay strict attention to building codes,” said Michael Kleeman, the school’s program coordinator for design. “We take those support pieces and structure them into studios with different specializations. There’s a residential studio that focuses on a multistory home for a growing family; another focuses on aging in place in a single-story, accessible home. We’ve just added our first environmental and sustainable class. This way, students are better prepared for jumping onto a team at a local firm.”
The school’s accredited program trains about 100 students each year, and a key part of their education is working side-by-side with professionals in the metro area. Those connections often lead to jobs that keep students in town after graduation.
“Throughout their time at school, the students have a required internship,” said Kleeman. “They have to complete at least an 11-week, credited internship with an outside firm or designer. A lot of local firms have specializations - maybe corporate interiors or hotels - so students get a chance to try various things.”
Establishing strong ties with the professional community often opens doors to opportunities other than jobs. For the first time this year, students used their relationships with established designers to furnish a space in the annual Atlanta Symphony Associate’s Decorator Showhouse. An AIA team tackled a recreation room, ripping up tile, paintings, creating art installations and hanging paintings to create a playful retreat.
“They worked with what they know to make it happen,” said Kleeman. “All the furniture was borrowed, but they came up with ideas to design a multifunctional recreational space on the home’s terrace level.”
The students’ involvement in those types of projects is just one way they’re attracting attention. Recently, the school garnered awards from the International Interior Design Association for students’ commitment to professionalization, earning honors as the 2015 Campus of the Year and in Membership Marketing and Recruitment excellence. Both recognized the students’ work to promote the interior design profession at the classroom and local level.
“We have grown the number of students who are members of IIDA as well as the American Society of Interior Designers,” said John Gaul, a faculty member with more than 30 years of hospitality design experience and the IIDA chapter advisor. “Each year, students submit information on the events they’ve held, such as lunch-and-learn activities that bring in professional designers from various specialities or social and networking events. They also participated in a program that diverted 10,000 pounds of architectural materials from landfills. They recognize early on how important it is to become and an active part of the design community, to get out and network to make connections that may lead to internships and future jobs.”
The achievements are a clear indication that the school’s program is strong, said Kleeman.
“These awards bolster our students and provide inspiration for new students coming in,” he said. “They helped us grow, especially now that the economy is coming back. As there are more jobs, there’s much more interest in having the ability to design.”
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