Norman Teague (MFA DESOB 2016) Wins Edes Prize

The Claire Rosen and Samuel Edes Foundation Prize for Emerging Artists at SAIC provides a one-year, $30,000 award to a graduating Master of Fine Arts (MFA) student who has demonstrated exceptional merit and creative potential. This competitive award is meant to provide promising young artists and scholars the financial means to focus exclusively on their artistic work after graduation. The 2016 recipient of the Edes Prize is MFA student Norman Teague (Designed Objects). This year’s semifinalists, receiving $1,750 each, are MFA students Sandrine Schaefer (Low-Residency MFA) and Anna Orlikowska (Sound).

About Norman Teague

Norman Teague is a Chicago-based designer and educator who focuses on projects and pedagogy that address the complexity of urbanism and the history of communities. Specializing in custom furniture, objects, spaces and public art that delivers a personal touch and unique aesthetic detail. He works with common, locally sourced building materials and local fabricators to create objects and spaces that explore simplicity, honesty and cleverness that related to the culture of the client and/or community. Teague plans after graduation are to launch his studio on the South Side of Chicago.

In 2012 Teague worked with Theaster Gates and John Preus on 12 Ballads for Huguenot House at dOCUMENTA (13) in Kassel, Germany. He also served as lead craftsman and co-founder of the Design Apprenticeship Program at the University of Chicago’s Arts Incubator. Teague teamed up with local chef Matthias Merges of Yusho in the Chicago Architecture Biennial 2016 for “Design to Eat.” His retail ventures have included partnerships with Leaders1354, The Silver Room, Exchange Café and Redmoon Theater. Teague holds a BA in Product Design from Columbia College, Chicago and an MFA in Designed Objects from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.