2011 Governors Arts Awards

Lotte Jacobi Living Treasure
Award Recipient: Jon Brooks, New Boston

Jon Brooks is a nationally recognized furniture maker and sculptor. Jon is known for his distinct inventiveness, artistic vision and excellent craftsmanship.  His peers speak of the wit, whimsy, and poetic originality of his work.  As a New Hampshire native, Jon’s materials come from the woods around his New Boston home.  Jon is a founding member of the NH Furniture Masters and a leader in the studio furniture movement. In recognition of his artistic excellence and professional commitment, in 2004, the NH State Council on the Arts designated Jon a Lifetime Fellow.

Jon’s artistry is also well respected nationally. His work appears in the collections of major institutions such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, the Museum of Craft and Design in New York City, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the Fuller Museum of Craft. A one-man exhibition of his work is currently on display at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester.

Jon is also a teacher and mentor to aspiring artists, both in New Hampshire and at some of America’s most prestigious craft schools. His generosity is evident in his work to help initiate the NH Furniture Masters prison program to teach inmates skills that can lead to a successful rehabilitation.