Supernovae (SNe) are a major driving force of chemical evolution in their host galaxies
by dispersing heavy elements to the interstellar medium. Our understanding of this last
stage of a massive star's evolution remains incomplete. Fundamental questions about
core-collapse SNe (CCSNe), such as the identification of the different progenitor
subtypes and how the core-collapse actually happens, remain topics of active research.

New insights into solving these questions can be provided by infrared (IR)
observations. I will discuss recent results from IR observations of nearby CCSNe and the
unique informations they can provide. First, I will present IR observations of a nearby,
typical Type II-P SN 2017eaw in NGC 6946 (7.7 Mpc). IR imaging of its progenitor with
Spitzerand ground-based observatories shows tentative evidence that the circumstellar
material might be ejected in less than 10 years before the final explosion, but not
within the last year. IR spectroscopy showed signs of interactions between the SN and
these ejected CSM, along with signatures of carbon monoxide formation. I will also
discuss a 10-micron observation from Subaru/COMICS of the strongly interacting SN 2014C,
implying the existence of silicate dust, which is unprecedented in an interacting
SN. The presence of silicates is an evidence that SN 2014C's progenitor's CSM was
oxygen-rich, supporting its proposed identification as a luminous blue variable (LBV).