Six furniture makers joined together three decades ago to form the NH Furniture Masters Association, creating a new space to share their craft with the world. The organization and its members have helped shape the growth and evolution of the studio furniture movement. To celebrate their contributions, the Furniture Masters Association is holding a “Founders Exhibition” showcasing the work of its original six members – Brian Braskie, Lenore Howe, David Lamb, Terry Moore, Jere Osgood and Bill Thomas – and kicking off a year of exhibitions and events culminating in the group’s autumn show at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester.

The “Founders Exhibition” opened on Jan. 22 and will run until March 28, with an opening reception taking place on Friday Feb. 7 from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. at the NH Furniture Masters Association’s gallery, located at 49 S. Main St. in Concord.

The nonprofit remains dedicated to preserving and perpetuating the centuries old tradition of fine furniture making. The group of over 25 professional furniture makers, promotes the growth and sales of fine furniture made by its members through exhibitions and educational initiatives including Prison Outreach Programs at the NH State Prison for Men, Maine State Prison, and NH Correctional Facility for Women.

About the founders:

David Lamb grew up at Canterbury Shaker Village and learned his craft as an apprentice to a European furniture master before attending Boston University’s Program in Artisanry. The former artist laureate of New Hampshire now builds furniture on commission at his shop in Canterbury. He has won design awards for his work and been featured in national publications.

Terry Moore, a self-taught artisan who came to New Hampshire from Wales in the 1970s, belongs to the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen and has formerly served as president of the Guild of New Hampshire Woodworkers. He once toured as a musician for a rock opera and now designs and builds furniture on commission out of his shop in Wilmot. Moore cites early Korean furniture design, the French Art Deco movement, and 20th century English craftsman Edward Barnsley as his inspirations.

Bill Thomas has been creating one-of-a-kind furniture since 1979, with his work spanning eighteenth-century styles ranging from New England Queen Anne to Baltimore Sheraton. A graduate of the North Bennet Street School in Boston, the former chairman of the Furniture Masters Association enjoys building his furniture by hand and working closely with clients as he fashions his designs. His work has been featured in many auctions and exhibition held by the organization.

Jere Osgood grew up on Staten Island, New York before studying architecture at the University of Illinois and then enrolling in the Rochester Institute of Technology’s School of American Craftsmen program. He opened a studio in Connecticut, taught at Boston University, and moved to New Hampshire, where he crafted furniture in Wilton until the end of his life. Recognized as a leading studio furniture maker and instructor, he passed away in Peterborough in 2023.

Brian Braskie and Lenore Howe spent 42 years as furniture makers together and created products our of their North Woods Chair Shop that now reside in places across the world. The couple, who lives in Canterbury, studied Shaker design, specialized in chairmaking, and garnered national recognition. They now spend their time as gardeners.