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October 16, 2026
Great memorial design rarely begins with stone. It begins with an idea and the responsibility of turning a family’s memories into something that can endure for generations. That takes vision, technical skill, and an artist who can bring both together. And in 2025, that artistry earned recognition on a North American stage. Summit Memorials artist Venice Harrington placed third for her Laurent memorial design in a prestigious industry competition, standing alongside work from some of the continent’s leading memorial designers. It’s a proud achievement for Venice and a meaningful moment for the entire Summit team.
In this blog, we’ll share why this recognition matters and what it reveals about the artistry behind meaningful memorial design.
Venice Harrington earned third place for her Laurent design in the Harold J. Schaller Rendering category at the 2025 American Institute of Commemorative Art design contest. The award was presented during the AICA convention held in Flagstaff, Arizona, in September 2025. Her work stood alongside entries from accomplished memorial designers across North America, making the recognition a remarkable achievement for Venice and a proud moment for Summit Memorials.
Long before granite is engraved or installed, someone has to take an idea and give it form. Proportion, lettering, shape, symbolism, and visual balance all need to work together before craftsmanship can turn that vision into stone. Getting those details right takes patience, precision, and an artist who understands that every design carries a story much bigger than the stone itself.
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AICA recognition is significant because the American Institute of Commemorative Art is an invitation-only organization limited to just 60 member companies across North America. Its annual design contest attracts entries from leading memorial designers throughout the industry, bringing exceptional talent together on one stage. Earning third place in this environment gives Venice Harrington’s achievement real weight.
The Harold J. Schaller Rendering category focuses on the ability to communicate a memorial concept through design before it becomes a finished monument. Families usually see the final memorial, not the sketches, adjustments, revisions, and technical decisions that came before it. Yet this is where much of the artistry happens and where the character of a memorial begins to take shape.
That makes Venice’s recognition particularly meaningful. Her Laurent design wasn’t simply judged on a finished piece of granite, it was recognized for the artistic vision and technical understanding behind the concept itself. To stand out among work from leading North American memorial designers is an accomplishment worth recognizing.
Venice Harrington’s Laurent design demonstrates how artistic vision and technical understanding come together in a carefully considered memorial concept. Its third-place recognition puts a spotlight on the quality of the design and its ability to communicate a clear memorial vision before production begins. That early creative work establishes the proportions, composition, and character that can ultimately guide a finished tribute.
Good memorial design doesn’t come from adding detail until a monument looks complete. Every line needs a reason to exist, every proportion affects the next, and even a small adjustment can change how the entire memorial feels. The strongest designs know when to make a statement and when to show restraint.
That balance takes experience. It also takes an artist who understands that creativity isn’t about making a memorial as elaborate as possible, it’s about finding the right way to express what matters. Venice’s recognition brings well-deserved attention to that skill.
Venice Harrington’s recognition reflects the artistic skill and memorial design expertise within the Summit Memorials team. Families trust memorial artists to translate deeply personal memories, ideas, and relationships into permanent tributes, and thoughtful design is where that process begins. Recognition among leading North American memorial designers puts a well-deserved spotlight on the talent behind that work at Summit.
And this is a moment worth being proud of. Venice’s achievement reflects the creativity, precision, and care she brings to her craft, while also showing what is possible when artistic vision meets a deep understanding of memorial design. Third place on a North American stage is no small accomplishment.
But an award should never become the entire story. Families don’t come to Summit because they need an award-winning design, they come because someone mattered to them, and they want that life remembered with care. The real value of artistic skill lies in taking a photograph, memory, landscape, symbol, or a few carefully chosen words and turning them into something lasting.
Thoughtful memorial design matters because it turns personal memories, relationships, and meaningful details into a tribute that can endure for generations. The artist’s role is to listen, understand what the family wants to preserve, and shape those ideas into a design that feels balanced and true to the person being remembered. Technical skill matters, but the finished memorial also needs to carry meaning.
Sometimes a family arrives with a clear vision. Other times, they bring a photograph, a favourite place, a symbol, a few words, or simply a feeling they want the memorial to express. That’s where the artist’s skill really comes alive.
An experienced memorial artist can take those starting points and begin finding the connections between them. Not everything needs to make it onto the stone, and not every idea needs to compete for attention. The real craft lies in knowing what deserves to stay and giving those details room to speak.
Creating a lasting memorial begins with understanding the family’s vision and translating it into a design that can be crafted successfully in granite. The process brings consultation, artistic design, material knowledge, engraving techniques, and skilled craftsmanship together. Each stage matters because decisions made early in the design process shape how the finished memorial will look, feel, and endure.
At Summit Memorials, that process begins with listening. Families may know exactly what they want, or they may need guidance to understand what is possible. The artist’s job is not to impose a style on them but to bring clarity to their ideas and help create something that feels genuinely personal.
That’s when the possibilities start to open up. A photograph can inspire a portrait, a favourite landscape can become part of the design, and a few meaningful words can give the entire memorial its emotional centre. A family’s memories provide the meaning. The artist gives those memories form.
Venice Harrington’s third-place recognition at the 2025 AICA design contest highlights the people and creative expertise behind the memorials Summit creates. Every finished monument involves individuals who listen to families, develop designs, work with granite, engrave meaningful details, and bring the final tribute into place. Venice’s achievement gives us a reason to shine a brighter light on the artistic talent within that larger process.
Awards deserve recognition, and this one certainly does. Competing alongside leading memorial designers from across North America and earning third place is a proud professional accomplishment. It reflects years of skill, creative judgement, technical understanding, and attention to detail.
Yet the deeper value of that talent appears in the work families entrust to Summit every day. These are names, memories, stories, and relationships that cannot be replaced. That responsibility demands care in the details, confidence when families need guidance, and the restraint to listen when they already know exactly what they want.
Summit Memorials will continue combining traditional craftsmanship with modern design and engraving techniques to create memorials intended to preserve lives and stories for generations. Venice Harrington’s recognition at the 2025 AICA design contest is a proud milestone within that ongoing commitment. It gives the entire Summit team a reason to celebrate the talent behind the work while continuing to raise the standard of what thoughtful memorial design can achieve.
The tools and techniques behind memorial design will continue to evolve. The responsibility behind the work does not. Every family deserves to be heard, every design deserves careful thought, and every memorial should be created with respect for the life it represents.
Congratulations to Venice Harrington on this remarkable achievement. Her third-place recognition brings well-earned attention to her talent, her craft, and the artistry behind meaningful memorial design. We are proud to have that talent as part of the Summit Memorials team.
With decades of experience serving families in Edmonton and Saskatoon, Summit Memorials combines traditional craftsmanship with modern design and engraving techniques to create granite memorials that preserve lives, memories, and family legacies. Our team believes families should have the space to move forward when they are ready and receive clear, compassionate guidance when that time comes.
Our work is grounded in compassion, integrity, excellence, and community. From personal consultation and custom design to expert crafting and installation, we help families understand their options and make decisions with confidence. We stand behind our granite memorials and workmanship because a tribute created to carry a story for generations should be made to endure.
If you are considering a memorial and want to explore what thoughtful, personalized design can make possible, the Summit Memorials team is here to help. We serve families in Edmonton and Saskatoon with clear guidance, skilled craftsmanship, and respect for the personal nature of every decision. Contact us when you are ready to discuss your ideas, ask questions, or begin creating a lasting tribute.
