Jere Osgood
Encyclopedia
Jere Osgood is a leading studio furniture maker
and noted teacher of furniture and woodworking
. He taught for many years in the Program in Artisanry at the Boston University
.
Jere Osgood was born and raised in Staten Island, New York. He studied architecture at the University of Illinois but left after two years to pursue furniture design and fabrication. Thereafter, he enrolled at the School of American Craftsmen at Rochester Institute of Technology
and learned furniture making under Tage Frid
. Osgood was also influenced by the work of Wharton Esherick
. Osgood seemed to have a natural aptitude for furniture. He completed the four-year program in about two years, receiving his B.F.A. in 1960. He supported himself while in school by fabricating and selling small wood objects of his own design. Like other American furniture makers, Osgood was very interested in the modern furniture being made in Scandinavia
. He studied in Denmark
in 1960-61.
On his return the United States, Osgood established a studio in New Milford, Connecticut
, where he made small objects. In the late 1960s he began to make large projects and explored different techniques of laminating wood. He published his explorations of lamination between 1977 and 1979 in Fine Woodworking
.
Osgood taught briefly at Philadelphia College of Art, then at Rochester Institute of Technology
for three years. In 1975 he moved to Boston University
where he worked with Dan Jackson and Alphonse Mattia to build the Program in Artisanry, which, until closed in 1985, was broadly influential on the American studio furniture movement.
Today Jere Osgood resides in Wilton, New Hampshire
, where he continues to design and build furniture in his own studio. He is a member of The Furniture Society
(and a recipient of that organization's prestigious Award of Distinction
) and New Hampshire Furniture Masters Association.
Studio Furniture
Studio Furniture is a subfield of Studio Craft centered around one-of-a-kind or limited production furniture objects designed and built by craftspeople. The work is made in a craftsperson's studio setting as opposed to being made in a high volume factory...
and noted teacher of furniture and woodworking
Woodworking
Woodworking is the process of building, making or carving something using wood.-History:Along with stone, mud, and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked by early humans. Microwear analysis of the Mousterian stone tools used by the Neanderthals show that many were used to work wood...
. He taught for many years in the Program in Artisanry at the Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
.
Jere Osgood was born and raised in Staten Island, New York. He studied architecture at the University of Illinois but left after two years to pursue furniture design and fabrication. Thereafter, he enrolled at the School of American Craftsmen at Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology
The Rochester Institute of Technology is a private university, located within the town of Henrietta in metropolitan Rochester, New York, United States...
and learned furniture making under Tage Frid
Tage Frid
-Further reading:* Hank Gilpin, "Professor Frid," Fine Woodworking magazine 146 , pp. 80-85.* John Kelsey, "Tage Frid: A Talk with the Old Master," Fine Woodworking magazine 52 , pp. 66-67....
. Osgood was also influenced by the work of Wharton Esherick
Wharton Esherick
Wharton Esherick was a sculptor who worked primarily in wood. He reveled in applying the principles of sculpture to common utilitarian objects. Consequently he is best known for his sculptural furniture and furnishings...
. Osgood seemed to have a natural aptitude for furniture. He completed the four-year program in about two years, receiving his B.F.A. in 1960. He supported himself while in school by fabricating and selling small wood objects of his own design. Like other American furniture makers, Osgood was very interested in the modern furniture being made in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
. He studied in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
in 1960-61.
On his return the United States, Osgood established a studio in New Milford, Connecticut
New Milford, Connecticut
New Milford is a town in southern Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States north of Danbury, on the Housatonic River. It is the largest town in the state in terms of land area at nearly . The population was 28,671 according to the Census Bureau's 2006 estimates...
, where he made small objects. In the late 1960s he began to make large projects and explored different techniques of laminating wood. He published his explorations of lamination between 1977 and 1979 in Fine Woodworking
Fine Woodworking
-Editorial style:The magazine's editorial direction has always been to focus on the very best of woodworking techniques at the highest level of skill. There has always a blend of articles from hands-on techniques, complex theory behind timber, finishes or tools, through to sheer showcase admiration...
.
Osgood taught briefly at Philadelphia College of Art, then at Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology
The Rochester Institute of Technology is a private university, located within the town of Henrietta in metropolitan Rochester, New York, United States...
for three years. In 1975 he moved to Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
where he worked with Dan Jackson and Alphonse Mattia to build the Program in Artisanry, which, until closed in 1985, was broadly influential on the American studio furniture movement.
Today Jere Osgood resides in Wilton, New Hampshire
Wilton, New Hampshire
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 3,743 people, 1,410 households, and 1,023 families living in the town. The population density was 145.3 people per square mile . There were 1,451 housing units at an average density of 56.3 per square mile...
, where he continues to design and build furniture in his own studio. He is a member of The Furniture Society
The Furniture Society
Founded in 1996, The Furniture Society is a membership based, tax-exempt nonprofit 501 3 corporation. Its mission is to advance the art of furniture making by inspiring creativity, promoting excellence and fostering understanding of this art....
(and a recipient of that organization's prestigious Award of Distinction
Award of Distinction
The Award of Distinction is conferred annually by The Furniture Society upon one or more living individuals who are recognized as having had a profound impact on the field of Studio Furniture...
) and New Hampshire Furniture Masters Association.
Further reading
- "Jere Osgood" in Edward S. Cooke Jr., Gerald W.R. Ward, and Kelly H L'Ecuyer, The Maker's Hand: American Studio Furniture, 1940-1990, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston MA, 2003.
- "Jere Osgood" in Edward S. Cooke, Jr., New American Furniture: The Second Generation of Studio Furnituremakers, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Boston MA, 1989.
- "Jere Osgood" in Michael A. Stone, Contemporary American Woodworkers, Gibbs M. Smith, Salt Lake City UT, 1986.