New York School of Interior Design (NYSID) has selected renowned furniture designer Vladimir Kagan as its keynote speaker for this year’s commencement exercises. He is one of today’s most enduring designers of modern furniture with a career that has spanned over sixty years. He started designing in 1946 and by the early fifties his innovative sculptured designs created a new look in American furniture. Today, his sparkling creations are on the cutting edge of the 21st century. Kagan’s clients have included Marilyn Monroe, Gary Cooper, Walt Disney, General Electric and the Government of Venezuela. Contemporary collectors range from the Museum of Modern Art to the Spice Girls and David Bowie.

Penny Bonda has been selected to receive NYSID’s Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts. She has been an active participant in the green building industry since its early stages and has pioneered the development of many of the accepted practices and recognized standards that have defined the sustainability movement. She is the founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council committee for LEED Commercial Interiors and the ASID Sustainable Design Council, and is a principal developer of REGREEN, the USGBC/ASID green residential renovation and interior remodeling program. Although she was trained as an interior designer, her expanded expertise includes green business practices, materials evaluation and application, training, leadership and messaging.

New York School of Interior Design will graduate 7 MFA, 42 BFA and 58 AAS candidates. The ceremony will continue the theme of Educating a Green Generation from the recent inauguration of NYSID’s sixth president, Dr. Christopher J. Cyphers. The theme emphasizes the college’s ongoing commitment to sustainability in its curriculum and will require the integration of the theory and practice of green design throughout the college’s educational programs including undergraduate, graduate, continuing professional education, and public outreach.

Founded in 1916, the New York School of Interior Design (NYSID) is New York’s only private, not-for-profit college devoted exclusively to interior design education and related disciplines. NYSID’s guiding principle is that the interior environment is a fundamental element of human welfare and the college is committed to actively improving the quality of life for all segments of humanity. This ideal is put into practice by a dedicated faculty of well-known designers, architects, art historians and authorities in the field who guide a diverse student body of over 700 full-and part-time students.

NYSID offers certificate, undergraduate and graduate programs in the field of interior design. The college is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and NYSID’s BFA is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA).

This is a private event. For press seats contact shoover@nysid.edu or bpeterson@nysid.edu or call 212.472.1500 ext. 405.
Website URL: www.nysid.edu
Contact Phone: 917.337.2979