Michael W. Thuesen CPF was born in Ithaca, New York,
and raised in six states as the child of a career Marine Corps pilot
and a professional ballet dancer and choreographer. He has travelled
the USA extensively and has visited many foreign countries. His first
career was as a performing musician and songwriter, which overlapped
with a three-year hitch in the Navy as an avionics technician.
After seventeen years of performing, Mike decided to try his
hand at another artistic endeavor and began training under the watchful
eye of an old framer in his hometown of Ithaca. Three years later, in
1987, he opened MasterCraft Frame Shop & Gallery. In 1989, Mike
received his certification from the Professional Picture Framers
Association (PPFA). The shop's name was changed in 1994 to its current
MasterCraft Custom Framing and Fine Arts.
Mike is a life member of the Vietnam Veterans of America, the
Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce (board of directors 1993-96), the
County Legislative Affairs Committee, Co-Founder of the West End
Breakfast Club, and a Rotarian.