Re-cre-ate: Aspiring Designers Present Final Concepts For A New Todd Gray's Muse

Wednesday morning, after a year of dedicated hard work, ten aspiring designers will present their final design concepts to the panel of esteemed judges and industry executives with hopes to see their vision come to life at Todd Gray's Muse Cafe at the world famous Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C.


After encountering a myriad of design decisions while opening Todd Gray's Muse, a caf? in the renowned Corcoran Gallery of Art, Restaurateur Ellen Kassoff-Gray and her husband, Chef Todd Gray decided to ask the design students themselves how they'd re-vision Muse. Armed with vision and talent, but lacking in experience, the class - taught by designer and Corcoran instructor Darlene Molnar - was on a mission to cre-ate the perfect design and marketing package for Muse, all under the watchful eye of the owners, experts in the field and possibly a television audience.


For the ten design students, it was not just a course, but also a contest. Working in two teams, the ten students were tasked to create a graphic and marketing identity that would help define the guest experience at Muse and fulfill the vision of the Corcoran, the owners, and their instructor. Students were tasked to fuse Todd Gray's culinary arts with the Corcoran's applied arts and develop a cohesive vision for the caf?'s graphics and built environment. To excel in this class and win this amazing opportunity, the teams have to take an in-depth look at the cafe, develop a design package and pitch their plan to Muse's owners.


Now that they have reached the end of the term, one pair of students will be chosen by a panel of celerity judges in the industry to see their designs come to life at the cafe and will be awarded a prize package and the opportunity to be the co-hosts at a media and arts unveiling party.


The panel of judges are comprised of Nycci Nellis, The List Are You On It, world-renown chef Roberto Donna of La Forchetta, Cupcake Wars champ, Doron Petersan of Sticky Fingers Bakery, the cake baker extraordinaire, Jason Reaves of the Food Network and Salamander, and of course, co-owners of the Muse, chef Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff-Gray.


Re-cre-Ate Design Course description:
This studio course gives Interior Design students a unique opportunity to collaborate together on the graphic identity and customer experience at Muse at the Corcoran. Students will be tasked to fuse Todd Gray's culinary arts with the Corcoran's applied arts and develop a cohesive vision for the cafe's graphics and built environment. Under the direction of Darlene Molnar, students will team up in pairs of two, take an in-depth look at the cafe, and develop a design package to be pitched to Muse owners. At the end of the term, one pair of students are chosen to see their designs come to life at the cafe and will be awarded a prize package and to co-host a media and arts unveiling party.