Today we’d like to introduce you to Janelle Wilson.
Janelle, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Around 2011, my grandfather (who frequented flea markets) brought home a stained glass window, and asked me to repair it. I had no experience in stained glass, but he offered to pay for me to learn, so I began taking classes at Glass Endeavors, a shop nearby run by John and Zoi Sandy. After a few classes, they offered me a job, and I studied under them for the next decade.
When they retired in 2021, I bought most of their fixtures and started looking for a location to open my own shop, hoping to continue the tradition of not only repairing old works and building new, but also of passing on that knowledge to the next generation and nurturing a love of the arts in anyone who wishes to learn.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As I’m sure most small business owners would say, running a small business is a bit of a roller coaster. The first major challenge was finding a suitable location in the aftermath of the pandemic, while the real estate market was both limited and competitive. It took over a year, and while there are things I might change about our current location, it was a relief to find it and get started.
More recently, the shortages and global economic upheaval, particularly with regard to metals, have added a layer of stress and complexity to our work. Copper, zinc, and lead are all essential in stained glass and sourcing the necessary components and materials has definitely become more difficult and costly.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
While I work in (and teach) foil and lead as well as fused glass, I most enjoy building lead windows in stained glass. The connection to over a thousand years of history and tradition is very meaningful to me. The pieces I’m most proud of are those that display my skill level in traditional lead techniques such as lead pointing.
As a company, we specialize in sympathetic repairs that maintain the history and character of the piece, and creating meaningful custom pieces that bring our client’s visions into reality. Our other passion is education, passing on the traditional techniques and knowledge in a way that is approachable, but that leaves students with all the skills and knowledge to continue to create after the class has ended.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We take custom work and repair work from all around the twin cities and broader metro area. We also have a retail store that sells everything from glass and supplies for the artist to finished windows, dishware, jewelry, and decorative pieces. Our classes are posted monthly and include many types of project in stained glass, fused glass, jewelry creation, and glass mosaic.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://archonglass.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archonglass/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArchonGlassworks
