University Galleries to Host Bias to Discuss History of African American Furniture Making and Design

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (March 23, 2022) – The University Galleries at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University will host an in-person program on the “History of African American Furniture Making and Design” on Wednesday, March 30, at noon. The discussion will feature renowned artist and furniture maker Jerome Bias and will delve into the work of African American artisans and how their talent has impacted history and design. 

The program will coincide with the University Galleries’ in-person exhibition, “Thomas Day: African American Furniture Maker and his Artistry.” This exhibit, in partnership with the North Carolina Museum of History, features the work of African American cabinet maker and artisan Thomas Day. It is open to the public and runs March 30 through Aug. 30, 2022.

Bias has developed a passion for building period reproductions of furniture pieces from Eastern North Carolina and Southern Virginia, inspired in large part by the work of Thomas Day. Bias uses only tools and techniques from the time period in which he’s building to produce pieces that not only look like the original, but exhibit the building processes the original maker would have experienced. He is also a quilter and upholsterer.

Bias is a graduate of the College of Wooster and owns Southern Heritage Furniture. He has given talks and woodworking demonstrations for the Chapel Hill Preservation Society and the Thomas Day Educational Foundation. He serves as a consultant with the North Carolina Museum of History.

The University Galleries are a part of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and play an integral role in supporting its mission of providing cultural exposure to the art of the African Diaspora. As part of the university and surrounding communities, the University Galleries are committed to increasing cultural competency and intellectual dialogue about the art and culture of people from the African diaspora through the exhibition of art, artifacts and material culture.

The University Galleries are located in the Dudley Building, 202 University Circle, off East Market Street. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and Saturday by appointment. Exhibits are free and open to the public.