Carol Catalano
Carol Catalano
Her creative interest found a focus when she entered the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) after high school and discovered industrial design. “After the first project, I knew I had found my life’s work,” she says.
Catalano says the training she received at RISD added a whole new dimension to her creativity. “They had a very hands-on approach, so I worked a lot with materials in the machine and wood shops.” In fact, that hands-on training proved valuable when she was working on her Capelli stool. “One of the requirements for the International Furniture Design Competition in Asahikawa (Japan) was to build a full-size prototype,” says Catalano, “which we did—in my garage.”
The effort paid off: Her stool took a Silver Prize in the prestigious competition in 1999—one of only eight awards given and the only American design selected from over 700 entries from around the world.
