Award of Distinction going to Craig Nutt

Craig Nutt will receive The Furniture Society’s Award of Distinction at its upcoming conference in San Francisco. The award recognizes those who have had a significant impact on the field of studio furniture as a maker, educator, activist and advocate.

“It was a unanimous decision and a short discussion,” says Furniture Society president Forest Dickey. “We’re all really excited that he is the awardee and we’re really excited about his work. With all the work he’s done with CERF (Craft Emergency Relief Fund) and other groups, he’s just done so many amazing things in the studio and out.”

Nutt has been a woodworker for over 40 years, starting as a restorer. He runs Craig Nutt Studio in Kingston Springs, Tenn., where he creates imaginative furniture and sculpture using traditional techniques. For a decade he divided his time between making and serving as CERF’S director of programs.

Past Award of Distinction recipients include James Krenov, Sam Maloof, Wendell Castle, Art Carpenter and Tage Frid.

“It’s so humbling to be in the company of people who’ve gotten the award in the past,” says Nutt. “They’re all people I really respect a lot. I think about other colleagues that I know that are equally deserving of the award that haven’t gotten it yet. There’s just an amazing amount of talent in this field and that’s why it means so much to me.”

Nutt’s work is in numerous public collections, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C. He has lectured, presented and taught workshops at craft schools, conferences and furniture programs around the country since the 1980s.

For information, visit www.furnsoc.org and www.craignutt.com. 

This article originally appeared in the April 2018 issue.