Studio Visit: Hennepin Made

The Midwest

Joe Limpert, Cofounder of Hennepin Made

Minneapolis, Minnesota

I initially went to school to study ceramics at the University of Wisconsin Madison, but I discovered the glass program and was immediately hooked. Here, we’re making the Celeste, one of our new pendant designs. It consists of a fairly long blown-glass cylinder with this really beautiful, elegant fade of white to clear.

I’m the gaffer, so I’m the captain of the team. My job is to direct everyone so we have consistency throughout the production session. I have a lot of trust in their skills.

I want people who buy one of these to celebrate their handmade nature, knowing that each one is going to have its own aspects—you’ll see some marks of the hand and the tools. The fade is going to vary from piece to piece.

Jump to: 

Made in America homepage 

Made In: The Midwest

The West | The Southwest | The South | The Northeast 

Top Architects on What American Design Means to Them