Skip to main content
Around Kirkwood

Students Turn Old Chairs Into Works of Art For Charity

By March 6, 2014January 7th, 2019No Comments

A few examples of the great work done by students

CHAIRity event to raise money for local housing program

Cedar Rapids, Iowa (March 5, 2014)—Interior Design students at Kirkwood Community College have been tasked with redesigning old office chairs for auction at a CHAIRity event to benefit Four Oaks housing program PUSH-CR.

The idea for the CHAIRity event came from Kirkwood Interior Design Program Coordinator, Jillissa Moorman, a former University of Northern Iowa professor. The student designs can be functional, art or anything that comes to mind. Once the chair is given new life it will be put up for auction.

Moorman thinks that a charity event would be a great addition to the Kirkwood program.

“I wanted to do a charity project that could get the whole program involved and provide a fun experience for my students,” said Moorman. “It’s a bonus that it has a positive impact our community.”

Students can obtain a two-year degree in Interior Design that follows the same rigors and standards required by the Council for Interior Design Accreditations as nationally ranked four-year programs. Part of those standards is being aware of community and involvement.

Given free reign over the new look to the chairs, the students have taken creative license to a new level according to Moorman.

“Since all of the students are using the same original chair, I think it will be really great to see a variety of design ideas,” Moorman said. “When I say variety, I really mean it. I want our chairs to be a surprise, but I will share that we have some very themed and conceptual chairs. There is a chair with camouflage and a cooler attached to it; a chair that looks like a fuzzy monster with gigantic eyes; a Hawkeye chair with really beautiful ribbons weaved all across it; a chair that has been turned into a stool with a hand painted golden gate bridge, and that’s just to name a few!”

The redesigned chairs will be on display for a silent auction at the NewBo City Market in Cedar Rapids on Saturday, March 8, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. In addition, photos will be posted to the Kirkwood Interior Design’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/kccinteriordesign).

UPDATE: The Kirkwood Interior design students were able to raise more than $1700 for PUSH-CR at the silent auction. To see some of the chairs and the other great things the Kirkwood Interior Design students are doing, check out their Facebook by clicking the link above.