7 Honorable Mentions from the Wool Blanket Design Contest!

We were honored to receive over 200 submissions from artists across the U.S. and Canada. Participants spanned all regions and art styles - and ranged in age from 8 year old beginning artists to elders with "Master Artist" status!  It was no easy task for our staff to narrow down these submissions, but after looking at every single image and reaching every narrative, we are ready to make some moves. Thank you so much to all the artists who submitted! 

We're starting out by recognizing Honorable Mentions. These are stand-out submissions that just missed for the Semi-Finals, which we will be announcing the next couple days. In the meantime, check out the beautiful artwork below along with some comments from our staff. We've added a link to their website or social media pages whenever possible.

If you'd like to receive notice of when the semi-finalists and finalists come out, you can sign up to our mailing list here. 

Hanna Sholl -  Sun'aq Tribe of Kodiak

"The beadwork and beautiful photography was compelling, and it was hard to let go. Also... that kid!" - Louie Gong, Founder & Owner

Tessa Sayers - Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa

"Tessa's artwork is a beautiful example of contemporary Ojibwe floral design work. We loved the merging of the frog and floral motifs." - Serene Lawrence, Project Manager 

Daphne Neha - Zuni Pueblo/Hopi/Laguna/Acoma

"I love the clarity of the design work on this. It's elegant, thoughtful, and wonderfully executed." - Kim Kroeker, Design Support 

Kirby Spencer - Navajo

"What really stood were the colors and the craftsmanship! I could see a blanket down the line where the stitch color becomes an intricate part of the blanket design." - Louie Gong, Founder & Owner   

Henry Payer - HoChunk

"I love the pattern on this piece! I liked the incorporation of the music and ledger work." - Lloyd H. Belmont Jr., Studio Assistant  

Crystal Worl - Tlingit/Athabascan/Yupik

"This piece is stunningly beautiful. I like the water color effect with the blue in the background." - Josh Swift, Studio Manager

Zac George - Tsleil-waututh Nation

"This is beautiful! I love the choice in unique colors." - Starr Warner, Studio Assistant