Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenn Justad.
Jenn, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
In summer of 2007, I took a random “summer camp” art course while in college in northern Wisconsin. They had a small, rustic glass blowing studio there. I signed up for the week long class, jumped right in and fell in love with it. I continued to learn for the next year at an open studio in Chicago, 2.5 hours from my college, with a woman named Pearl Dick. The next summer at the summer camp the instructor was Michael Boyd. He talked about a community glass studio he was starting in Minneapolis called Foci. After I graduated the following spring I moved back to my home state of Minnesota. With no direction, social life or friends I looked up Foci, wandered in and said “who has the patience to teach me how to blow glass?” From there I mentored until a variety of local glass artists, took classes from visiting artists and learned from anyone who would teach me.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has mostly been a winding road I’d say. At certain points in my life the road turned my focus away from glass, some points it led me right back. It was always there for me. Glass blowing was very much a hobby for me for a long time. Which I was perfectly ok with! I made a small money selling my work for a long time. But it wasn’t until COVID and lock down pushed me to pursue it further. All of my other jobs had closed temporarily but I had some glass work stockpiled. I put it on the internet in the hopes of making some extra money. Turns out people other than my family liked what I made!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I make mostly functional glassware – cups, bowls, vases, etc. I’m known for my brightly colored drinkware. I love using vibrant colors and patterns to bring joy to something as simple and everyday as a glass of water. My used of color is definitely very unique. My patterns and color applications are very traditional in style but how I combine them is something most people haven’t seen before
How do you think about happiness?
I love hearing people come to my booth and say how they use a cup they bought from me everyday, that it makes them smile. I want the things I make to be used as much as possible, not sitting on a shelf. So to hear this truly makes my day
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Justadglass.com
- Instagram: @justadglass
