CALDWELL ARTS COUNCIL FEATURES APPALACHIAN FURNITURE DESIGN
Design by Kern Maass
Work by Appalachian State furniture design professor Kern Maass and Appalachian State students will be featured April 4-25 in a show titled “Art in Furniture Design” at the Caldwell Arts Council in Lenoir.
The show presents both the art of the designer who creates for mass production as well as the art of the craftsperson who may take a totally whimsical or unconventional tack toward design. Often, unusual, unique, or phenomenal art in furniture design blurs the distinction between furniture and sculpture. This latter arena is where designers make a name for themselves and may find their work used as inspiration for others.
At Appalachian State University, Furniture Design Concentration is a four year degree program developed to prepare graduates for the contract and residential furniture industry. The intense curriculum delivers a hands-on approach to high level creative problem solving, allowing students to become well versed in design methodology, history, materials, processes, computer aided design and solid modeling.
Maass heads this Industrial Design program at Appalachian. In 2001, Maass Design was founded to design furniture and table-top accessories. Maass has taught at Binghamton University and the Worcester Center for Crafts. His work has been featured in shows and exhibitions throughout the country, including SOFA Chicago, Fine Furnishings Providence and the American Craft Museum’s Horizon Award. In addition to his own work, Maass brings the work of students pursuing the degree of Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design.
The public is invited to meet the artists at the free opening reception on April 4 from 5-7:30 p.m. The Caldwell Arts Council is located at 601 College Avenue in Lenoir with normal operating hours Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, please call 828-754- 2486.