GCA Names LOUIE Awards Judging Panel

GDA Staff -- Gifts and Dec, 12/26/2012 8:00:00 AM

White Plains, NY - The Greeting Card Association's (GCA) committee for the LOUIE Awards has named a panel of highly regarded stationery industry retailers, educators, editors and designers to judge the 25th Anniversary LOUIE Awards competition. The panel will evaluate the entries to determine the finalists and winners in more than 50 categories from nearly 1,000 submissions, a record-breaking number of entries. Entries were received from more than 200 companies.

"I am thrilled with the judges for the 25th Anniversary LOUIE Awards. The panel represents the diversity associated with the industry," says LOUIE Awards committee chairman Monika Brandrup, vice president and creative director of Up With Paper. "Given that this year's theme is The Artist and the Card, we're especially pleased to have key representatives from the creative side, such as renowned pop-up book and greeting card artist Robert Sabuda; award-winning illustrator and professor of visual communications at Pratt, Scott Menchin; and Hallmark senior art director Roberta Abramson."

The judges for the 25th Anniversary LOUIE Awards include:

• Roberta Abramson, Hallmark Cards Inc.
• Elaine Barker, Paper Potpourri
• Stacey Burnett, Indigo
• Dan Collier, Daniel*Richards
• Laura Courtney, Papyrus/Schurman Retail Group
• Rob Fortier, Center Aisle Group
• Nole Gary, Oh So Beautiful Paper
• Katy Greenspan, Minted
• Chandra Greer, GREERChicago
• Kim Kemmelhar, American Greetings Corporation
• Scott Menchin, Pratt
• Lynn Mitchell, Lynn Mitchell Group
• Melinda Morris, Lion in the Sun
• Gentry O'Neill, Paper on the Avenue
• Tanya Pazmino, Paper Presentation
• Julie Pike, Haute Papier
• Robert Sabuda, Designer
• Greg Urra, Kate's Paperie
• Allyson Van Houten, Felt & Wire
• Dan Weston, KNOCK

Judging, which will evaluate entries on originality, impact, design excellence, sendability and value, will take place January 29-30, 2013, in New York City. At the completion of the judging process, three finalists in each category will be named with the winners announced at the 25th Anniversary LOUIE Awards gala on Sunday, May 19, during the National Stationery Show in New York City.

The top awards, "Card of the Year," one in each price break, will be determined by a Blue Ribbon panel of judges following the general judging process. For more information on the LOUIEs, visit www.greetingcard.org and click on the LOUIE logo.