Jacob Cress

Jacob Francis Cress (November 22, 1944 – May 19, 2026), better known as Jake Cress, was an American furniture maker in Fincastle, Virginia who is known for his interpretations of classical 18th century furniture. He considered himself to be a cabinet maker and not an artist. He also built normal classical furniture, miniature furniture, and carved boxes, as well as decorative pieces. Cress worked with mahogany, walnut, and cherry woods. His animated works include "The Decorator," "Alladin's Lamp," "Hickory Dickory Dock Clock," "Self-Portrait," and "Clock Face." Cress crafted each piece of furniture by hand in his shop without sketching the furniture before he began working on it. He graduated from John I. Burton High School, where he failed woodworking. He then joined the Navy in 1963 and attended Columbia School of Broadcasting in New York while he served. and is now in the museum's permanent American Furniture collection. and American Art Magazine and is featured in the Virginia tourism site under "The Arts. "

In 2011, Cress had an exhibition featuring his work in Abingdon, Virginia at the William King Museum. The exhibition was titled "Mischief-Making: Contemporary Craftsman Jake Cress," and included a carving workshop. From the painting, a chair's arm, created by Jake Cress, reaches out and places a flower into a vase that rests on a table built by Cress. The table stands under the painting. The chairs featured in the painting are Cress' animated chairs. "The Decorator" was featured at the King William Museum.