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The Award of Distinc­tion recog­nizes and cele­brates outstand­ing achieve­ment and long-stand­ing commit­ment by an indi­vid­ual or insti­tu­tion to the advance­ment of the art of furni­ture making. The Award is intended to strengthen the fabric of the Furni­ture Soci­ety’s commu­nity by naming and cele­brat­ing its aesthetic and intellectual leaders. 

2023 Award of Distinction Honoree

Furniture Maker, Designer, Educator

Michael Puryear

2023 Award of Distinction Recipient

The Furni­ture Society is thrilled to announce Michael Puryear as the 2023 recip­i­ent of its coveted Award of Distinc­tion. Michael’s award will be presented to him at a luncheon in his honor, June 10, at this year’s confer­ence in New Orleans, LA — FS23: Making Spaces: How Place Shapes Produc­tion, Living, and Community.

Support­ing this year’s Award of Distinc­tion honoree directly supports our Educa­tional Grant Program.

Please consider making a dona­tion in Michael’s honor. Thank you!

Meet our 2023 Award of Distinction Jurors

The Furni­ture Society Board of Trustees has invited Craig Nutt to chair the Award of Distinc­tion program. Craig’s role is to work closely with Exec­u­tive Direc­tor Monica Hampton, and this year’s jurors Edward S. Cooke, Alison Croney Moses, and Toni Sikes. You can learn more about them here.

Taking into consid­er­a­tion their cumu­la­tive knowl­edge of the contem­po­rary furni­ture making scene, their expe­ri­ences and contri­bu­tions in their own rights to our field and their differ­ent aesthetic approaches to object making, the delib­er­a­tions should be substan­tive, fair, lively, and repre­sen­ta­tive of a vital slice of The Furni­ture Society’s community.

Award funds received in excess of the direct program costs will be made avail­able to the Furni­ture Society’s Educa­tional Grants program, which offers essen­tial finan­cial assis­tance to Society members for profes­sional devel­op­ment or projects of an educational nature.

Past Award of Distinction Honorees:

Patron, Collector, Philanthropist, Lawyer

Ronald D. Abramson

2022 Award of Distinction Recipient

The Furni­ture Society is thrilled to announce Ronald D. Abram­son as a 2022 recip­i­ent of its coveted Award of Distinc­tion. His award was presented at this year’s Virtual Confer­ence FS22: Working Together by 2014 Award of Distinc­tion recip­i­ent Bebe Johnson.

Designer, Cabinet Maker, President Emeritus — North Bennet Street School

Miguel Gómez-Ibáñez

2022 Award of Distinction Recipient

The Furni­ture Society is thrilled to announce Miguel Gómez-Ibáñez as a 2022 recip­i­ent of its coveted Award of Distinc­tion. His award was presented at this year’s Virtual Confer­ence FS22: Working Together by Andrew Glasgow.

Designer, Furniture Maker, President and Creative Director of George Nakashima Woodworkers

Mira Nakashima

2022 Award of Distinction Recipient

The Furni­ture Society is thrilled to announce Mira Nakashima as a 2022 recip­i­ent of its coveted Award of Distinc­tion. Her award was presented at this year’s Virtual Confer­ence FS22: Working Together by Bob Aibel

Furniture Maker

Kristina Madsen

2020/2021 Award of Distinction Recipient

The Furni­ture Society is thrilled to announce Kristina Madsen as the 2020/2021 recip­i­ent of its coveted Award of Distinc­tion. We will be cele­brat­ing Kristina this June during the Summer Session of FS Connects with two unique programs includ­ing object studies of her work and a virtual Awards Cere­mony.

Furniture Maker, Educator

Tom Loeser

2019 Award of Distinction Recipient

The Furni­ture Society proudly announces that the recip­i­ent of its coveted 2019 Award of Distinc­tion is Tom Loeser. His award will be presented at a luncheon cere­mony on Satur­day, June 22, 2019 during the Furni­ture Society’s confer­ence in Milwau­kee, Wisconsin.

Furniture Maker, Educator

Craig Nutt

2018 Award of Distinction Recipient

The Furni­ture Society is proud to announce that the recip­i­ent of its coveted 2018 Award of Distinc­tion is Craig Nutt. His award will be presented at a luncheon cere­mony on Satur­day, June 16, 2018 during the Furni­ture Society’s confer­ence in San Fran­cisco. Craig Nutt will be presented his award by his good friend, Toni Sikes, who is the co-founder and CEO of CODAworx.

Educator, Historian

Edward S. Cooke

2016 Award of Distinction Recipient

The Furni­ture Society proudly bestowed its coveted 2016 Award of Distinc­tion upon Edward Cooke. His award was presented at a luncheon cere­mony in June 2016 during the Furni­ture Society’s confer­ence in Philadelphia.

Furniture Maker, Educator

Thomas Hucker

2016 Award of Distinction Recipient

The Furni­ture Society proudly bestowed its coveted 2016 Award of Distinc­tion upon Thomas Hucker. His award was presented at a luncheon cere­mony in June 2016 during the Furni­ture Society’s confer­ence in Philadelphia.

Gallery Owners, Champions of Studio Furniture and Makers

Warren and Bebe Johnson

2014 Award of Distinction Recipients

The Furni­ture Society proudly bestowed its coveted 2014 Award of Distinc­tion upon Warren and Bebe Johnson. Their award was presented at a luncheon cere­mony on June 21, 2014 during the Furni­ture Society’s confer­ence in Port Towsend, WA.

Furni­ture Maker, Educator

Rosanne Somerson

2012 Award of Distinction Recipient

The Furni­ture Society proudly bestowed its coveted 2012 Award of Distinc­tion upon Rosanne Somer­son. Her award was presented at a luncheon cere­mony on June 15, 2012 during the Furni­ture Society’s confer­ence in Port­land, Maine, by her colleague John Dunni­gan, head of the Depart­ment of Furni­ture Design, Rhode Island School of Design.

Furniture Maker, Educator

Wendy Maruyama

2008 Award of Distinction Recipient

Ms. Maruya­ma’s award was presented June 19, 2008 by Alphonse Matia, Senior Critic, Grad­u­ate Program in Furni­ture Design, Rhode Island School of Design.

Furniture Maker, Educator

Walker Weed

2008 Award of Distinction Recipient

Mr. Weed’s award was presented June 19, 2008 by Edward S. Cooke, Charles F. Mont­gomery Profes­sor of Amer­i­can Deco­ra­tive Arts, Depart­ment of the History of Art, Yale University.

Furniture Maker

Michael Fortune

2007 Award of Distinction Recipient

Mr. Fortune’s award was presented June 22, 2007 jointly by Alan Elder, Cana­dian Museum of Civi­liza­tion’s Curator of Cana­dian Crafts, Deco­ra­tive Arts and Design; and by Edward S. Cooke, Charles F. Mont­gomery Profes­sor of Amer­i­can Deco­ra­tive Arts, Depart­ment of the History of Art, Yale University.

Artist, Craftsman

Tommy Simpson

2006 Award of Distinction Recipient

Mr. Simp­son’s award was presented June 9, 2006 by Robert Eager­ton — painter, print­maker, and Profes­sor at the Herron School of Art IUPUI.

Artist, Craftsman

Judy Kensley McKie

2005 Award of Distinction Recipient

Ms. McKie’s award was presented June 10, 2005 by her friend and fellow furni­ture­maker Michael Hurwitz.

William Keyser, Jr.

2003 Award of Distinction Recipient

Mr. Keyser’s award was presented on June 14, 2003 by Gail Fredell, who studied with Mr. Keyser at the Rochester Insti­tute of Tech­nol­ogy in the 1970’s.

Scholar, Educator, Curator

Jonathan Fairbanks

2003 Award of Distinction Recipient

Mr. Fair­banks’ award was presented June 14, 2003 by his colleague Gerald W. R. Ward, Kather­ine Lane Weems Senior Curator of Deco­ra­tive Arts and Sculp­ture, MFA Boston.

Craftsman, Educator, Author

Jere Osgood

2002 Award of Distinction Recipient

Mr. Osgood’s award was presented June 7, 2002 by his student and colleague Thomas Hucker, who studied with Mr. Osgood at Boston Univer­si­ty’s Program in Arti­sanry in the mid-1970s.

Craftsman, Educator

John Makepeace

2002 Award of Distinction Recipient

Mr. Make­peace’s award was presented June 7, 2002 by his colleague Chris Rose, teacher at the John Make­peace School for Furni­ture at Parnham House, Dorset, England from 1984 – 1988.

Icastle
Craftsman, Educator

Wendell Castle (1932 – 2018)

2001 Award of Distinction Recipient

Mr. Castle’s award was presented March 16, 2001 by Garry Knox Bennett, artist and ACC Fellow.

Tage Frid
Craftsman, Educator, Author

Tage Frid (1915 – 2004)

2001 Award of Distinction Recipient

Mr. Frid’s award was presented March 16, 2001 by his student and colleague Rosanne Somer­son, chair of the Rhode Island School of Design’s furniture program.

Ikrenov
Crafts­man, Educa­tor, Author

James Krenov (1920 – 2009)

2001 Award of Distinction Recipient

Mr. Krenov’s award was presented on March 16, 2001 by Peter Korn, Direc­tor of the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship.

Imaloof
Craftsman

Sam Maloof (1916 – 2009)

2001 Award of Distinction Recipient

Mr. Maloof’s award was presented March 16, 2001 by Jonathan Fair­banks, former curator of Amer­i­can Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.