Antar Gamble Hall Winner in First-Ever White House 3D Printed Ornament Design Challenge!

We would like to congratulate Instructor Antar Hall on his winning 3D ornament!

Antar pictured with tree and ornament in background
Antar pictured with tree and ornament in background

Congratulations Antar!! What was your initial reaction when you found out?
I was incredibly excited and had to share the news with my parents right away.

Presidents of Christmas Past & Present rendering
Presidents of Christmas Past & Present rendering
Hall family tree with 3D printed Frosted Detail ornament from Shapeways.com
Hall family tree with 3D printed Frosted Detail ornament from Shapeways.com

Has winning this award changed anything for you?
It’s garnered a lot of attention for me and my use of 3D modeling software and 3D printing from people I know and many I don’t, both in the U.S. and globally. A lot of this is thanks to being on LinkedIn allowing the news of my ornament to reach people I typically would not have access to or communicate with if I were not on LinkedIn.

Iconic White House Exterior up close
Iconic White House Exterior up close

What was it like to be in the White House during the Holidays?
Going in the White House was amazing. The architecture and decorations were stunning. Inside there were 26 lavishly decorated Christmas trees, lights galore and both high tech and traditional Christmas decorations throughout the many halls and rooms. My ornament was on a tree inside the State Dining Room, next to a richly painted portrait of President Lincoln hung above a fireplace mantle. To finally see my ornament in front of me was such an incredible and somewhat surreal moment. I stood there gazing for awhile and speaking with my mom about it and after taking a few pictures and smiling more with my mom we went on to the remainder of our tour. Among the decorations, we saw many masterfully painted portraits of past Presidents and First Ladies and even saw musical performances by a classical quartet and jazz ensemble. When we came to the end of our tour, exiting the White House was just as magical as entering it and knowing how historical a place you were just in made for an over the top experience gifting memories to cherish and last a lifetime.

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If you are able, will you enter the contest again next year?
Yes, no harm in trying my luck twice!

You are an Alumni and Instructor here at FIT, is there anything you’d like to share with our readers? Words of wisdom?
Anything is possible to achieve with a combination of hard work, strong belief in your abilities and determination to overcome obstacles to reach your goals. Family, good friends and mentors are invaluable and some good fortune along the way doesn’t hurt. Lastly, I’ve found helping others to achieve their goals can create a win-win situation for all.

Thank you for sharing your photos and once in a lifetime experience with us and we will see you soon for your next class!

Antar Hall teaches CTD 429 Intro to Rhino for the CAD Novice