C. Jeré is a metal artist of wall sculptures and household accessories. The works of Jeré are manufactured and marketed by the company Artisan House. Curtis Jere is a compound name-of-the-artist Curtis Freiler and Jerry Fels. The two founders combined pieces of their own name to create the signature of C. Jeré. Modernism Magazine interviewed Jer...
C. Jeré is a metal artist of wall sculptures and household accessories. The works of Jeré are manufactured and marketed by the company Artisan House. Curtis Jere is a compound name-of-the-artist Curtis Freiler and Jerry Fels. The two founders combined pieces of their own name to create the signature of C. Jeré. Modernism Magazine interviewed Jerry Fels shortly before his death in October 2008. According to the resulting article in the Spring 2007 issue of Modernism magazine page 116, the company was founded in 1963 by Fels and his brother-in-law Curtis (Kurt) Freiler. Freiler was the head of production and Fels was chief of design. Their aim was to produce "art of gallery-quality for the masses". Prior to the creation of Artisan House, the partners built a costume jewelery business, selling works under the names of Renoir and Matisse, which employed about 300 people at one time. Kurt and Jerry sold Artisan House in 1972. Kurt Freiler died on July 22, 2013 at the age of 103 years.