September 10, 2024
Caroline Rinker will be posthumously honored with an ICON Award at the Beacon Awards Ceremony Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at Sony Hall, NYC
The Designers Lighting Forum of New York (DLFNY) announces it will posthumously honor Caroline Rinker, a prominent figure in the New York City lighting community, with an ICON Award at the first annual Beacon Awards (https://awards.dlfny.org/) ceremony on Wednesday, October 9, 2024. Best known professionally as a partner at O’Blaney Rinker Associates, she was dedicated to DLFNY and supported other lighting organizations.
Caroline Rinker
Selected by the Beacon Awards committee and approved by the DLFNY Board, the ICON Award is reserved for a special individual, firm, or company worthy of veneration for their commitment to advancing the impact of lighting within the New York design community.
“It is fitting that Caroline Rinker will be the first recipient of the ICON Award, says DLFNY President Cynthia Turner. “Caroline was a light in all of our lives that burned brightly. Her contributions to the DLFNY as past president as well as co-chair of the LEDucation committee have helped shape what we are today. A true ICON in the industry and we are proud to honor Caroline with this award.”
“Caroline championed the idea that DLFNY should have its own awards program that would recognize outstanding achievements in lighting design and would open to members of the entire greater New York City design community,” says Charles Pavarini III, Chair of the Beacon Awards committee. “She was instrumental in the formation of this awards program.”
“I am so glad to see the DLFNY honor her legacy,” says James O’Blaney, her business partner, “and hope that it will serve as both a reminder and inspiration to everyone in the lighting community. “
In addition to ICON Award, our panel of jurors have selected winner/s of the New York Project, Commercial & Institutional, Exteriors, Residential, Hospitality & Retail, and Product Design, which will be celebrated at the Awards ceremony.
All proceeds will go to fund DLFNY’s Lenar Lighting Empowerment Scholarship, whose goal is to foster the next generation of lighting designers.
About Caroline Rinker
A prominent figure in the New York City lighting community, Caroline enjoyed a storied 45+ year career. She was a role model, a mentor, a motivator, and a consummate professional. Her boundless passion, dedication, and contributions to the lighting community were monumental. She was a member of Women in Lighting Design (WILD) and a supporter of the Illuminating Engineering Society New York City section (IESNYC). She served as President of the Designers Lighting Forum of New York (DLFNY) in 2010-2012 and was an active board member for 20 years. She also volunteered and became co-chair of the LEDucation Trade Show and Conference in 2014 – which became a platform that will continue to help further education in the lighting community for years to come. She always had her eye on the future. Caroline worked in the New York City lighting community in manufacturing, distribution and independent sales. In 2010, she partnered with James O’Blaney to form O’Blaney Rinker Associates.
The firm expanded to two offices and a team of 15 representing 34 architectural lighting and controls lines. Caroline’s straightforward, no- nonsense character has been a key ingredient to her success and helped the company become what it is today. Caroline considered volunteer work with the lighting community to be an integral part of our mission. She always had time to share her expertise and keen industry insight with ORA manufacturer-partners, employees, and colleagues and friends too numerous to count. Caroline will remain a brilliant light to warm our hearts.
About the DLFNY Lenar Lighting Empowerment Scholarship
The DLFNY Lenar Lighting Empowerment Scholarship provides financial support to students enrolled full-time in university-level lighting programs. Students enrolled at the following schools are currently eligible: Parsons School of Design and the New York School of Interior Design. Individual awardees, numbers of awardees, and scholarship amounts will be determined by the schools’ lighting program directors. Interested students may contact them.
About the DLFNY
The Designers Lighting Forum of New York (DLFNY) is an organization dedicated to exploring the power of light in design and the latest in lighting innovation and education. The DLFNY supports formal lighting education through scholarships and contributions to local universities and design schools, as well as national programs. Founded in 1934 and continuously led by a volunteer Board of Managers, we are supported by the DLFNY general membership, the generosity of its corporate sponsors, and financial proceeds from LEDucation. The DLFNY enthusiastically provides designers, architects, manufacturers and their representatives, contractors, educators, and students with opportunities to network and experience the wonder of lighting in New York City and beyond. Visit dlfny.org
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