Biography

Tom Tedrowe is a studio furniture maker and has been building furniture of his design for over 30 years. His work has been published in several books, including the recently published Furniture Studio 5 "The Meaning of Craft", and several in arts related periodicals. He has been recognized  with several grants, the most recent from the Indiana Arts Commission in 2006. Tom shows his work nationally and his most recent national awards are “Best in Show - Furniture” at the Providence (RI) Fine Furnishings Show in 2004 and  “Best of Show - Contemporary Furniture” at the Milwaukee (WI) Fine Furnishings Show in 2006. Tom has taught at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago and Furniture Design at Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis. He was the “Artist in Residence” at the State University of New York in Purchase, NY for Spring semester, 2007.

Tom has an M. F. A. in Furniture Design from the Rhode Island School of Design.         

His work is known for its design, which is influenced by world art and architecture and historic furniture, his meticulous craftsmanship and his use of exotic woods.

Although raised in Indianapolis, Tom lived and worked in Chicago for 20 years. In 2002 Tom moved to rural Brown County, Indiana and built a 2,500 square foot studio, workshop and gallery. He is a member of Indiana arts organizations as well as a founding member and on the advisory board of the Furniture Society.

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

As an artist I employ multiple motives in the conception and execution of my work. I incorporate a sense of humor, such as visual puns or ironic titles. I also interpret architectural motifs in wood and play with proportion, geometric pattern and contrasting materials. My goal is to further understand past and present design approaches and aspects of manufacturing and to combine them with my own ideas to produce fine contemporary furniture with historical references. I continue to develop my repertoire to include a broader base of both traditional and modern stylistic expression and technique. Through this development I am able produce furniture with a well-founded personal design and fine structural integrity.