The Australia Council for the Arts will give three individual grants of $30,000 to designers and craftspeople to bring art into Australian homes and the public space.

The three grants, from the Australia Council’s Maker to Manufacturer to Market (MMM) initiative, will assist entrepreneurial craftspeople and designers to make a prototype, manufacture a product and package their work for a range of commercial markets.

The Australia Council’s visual arts director Anna Waldmann said: ‘The MMM initiative offers our talented visual artists valuable support to bridge the gap between the creative process and business success.’

‘Works of craft and design need support and investment to flourish. Our MMM grants nurture designers and craftspeople to take their abundant creativity into the public space and the homes of Australians,’ Ms Waldmann added.

The recipients of the 2006 Maker to Manufacturer to Market grants are:

• Forlano Design: Western Australian designer Penelope Forlano will develop, produce and market her ‘Wild Creeper’ sculptural coat rack and hook range
• Greg Healey: a South Australian furniture designer will further develop his ‘Big Red’ range of contemporary street furniture that responds to the forms, textures and colours of the Australian landscape
• Print Ink: this Melbourne-based design collaboration of Lisa Carroll, Nadia Husiak and Jason Cesani will produce a range of original hand printed wallpaper designs.

Artists from the pilot MMM initiative are available for interview. Images of works are also available.