Prysmian Group Announces Winners of Fifth Annual SCAD Studio Challenge

Prysmian Group North America, a global leader in the energy and telecom cables and systems industry, recently announced the winners of its fifth annual studio challenge at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), where students unveiled innovative designs made with scrap materials from Prysmian’s North American factories. 

Twenty teams presented their artwork at the final event, where a panel of Prysmian Group and SCAD representatives determined the first-, second- and third-place designs based on five criteria: originality, aesthetic, construction and use of Prysmian materials. 

The team consisting of SCAD students Cheyanne Leeds, Katherine Rosser and Leticia Lope were awarded the first-place sum of $1,500 for their wearable design “Copper Top and Bottom,” which was made exclusively with copper materials to signify the strength of women, according to the team members. 

"As a group of women, we wanted femininity to be at core of our design. We also wanted to achieve what we felt was the overarching theme of the challenge: connectivity,” said Katherine Rosser, a sequential art major at SCAD. “The final result was this feminine, woven fashion piece made of materials that represent literal connectivity, as well as Prysmian Group’s global products and mission."

The runner-up team of Lina Deeb, Chloe Helm and Hannah Chan won $900 for their design “Tools of Time,“ consisting of multicolored cables woven together in a necklace. The third- place team of Destin Oliveira, Jen Bodine and Alexis Ferrell was awarded $600 for their work “Built to Last,” and the 17 remaining teams from the top 20 submissions received $300 each. 

The winning design caught my eye for its bold, warrior-like construction and powerful artistic statement,” said Hakan Ozmen, CEO of Prysmian Group North America. “As always, it was an honor to be a part of this competition and see students think outside the box to bring Prysmian’s materials to life. The works which we’ve seen will continue to inspire Prysmian Group’s team members and visitors alike.” 

In addition to announcing the winners of its main studio event, Prysmian selected one team to win $1,000 in its specialty category at SCAD’s annual Sand Arts Festival on May 11. The winning team, which included SCAD students Alex Dahlem, Marissa Johnson, Michael Robinson, and Aja Weary took home the top prize for their innovative sand sculpture “Serpent Seekers,” which excelled in each of the three judging categories: creativity of concept and design, quality of craft, and excellence in detail. 

The company will honor its own tradition by displaying several winning designs at its North American headquarters in Lexington, S.C. and elsewhere throughout the region.