Every year since 1987, the American Craft Show has brought makers of fine crafted goods from around the country to St. Paul. Among this year’s group of more than 250 artists are some familiar names, including local ceramicists Liz Pechacek, Fringe & Fettle Ceramics, Autumn Higgins, and Amanda Dobbratz. But this year, we’ve highlighted five of the top home goods makers at this year’s event that have flown under the radar.
Blanc Creatives
A favorite of celeb chef Andrew Zimmern, Blanc Creatives crafts hand-forged, carbon-steel cookware out of its shop in Charlottesville, Virginia. The small artisanal group was founded by blacksmith and designer Corry Blanc, a native Georgian, who began blacksmithing full-time in 2007. The brand, which was recognized in Garden & Gun magazine’s prestigious Made in the South awards, emphasizes long-lasting quality over quantity. Each pan, which takes six working hours to craft, comes with a lifetime and is said to get better with age. Since establishing his company in 2011, Blanc now leads a team of 11 blacksmiths, woodworkers, and designers, and has expanded the line to include kitchen accessories such as cutting boards, spatulas, cocktail muddlers, and bottle openers. blanccreatives.com
Baigelman Glass
Baigelman Glass is a modern glass company that specializes in functional glassware, nesting bowls, vases, and art objects. Based in Chicago, the brand was founded by longtime glassmaker Aaron Baigelman in 2014 with his wife and fellow artist Heather when the couple was still dating. Featuring bright colors and clean lines, Baigelman’s glassware collections can be paired together in the same color or mixed and matched to create a unique glassware set, and its nesting bowls double as a functional, beautiful centerpiece. In addition to their functional glassware, the duo also exhibits their one-of-a-kind sculptural glass art pieces in galleries across the U.S. baigelmanglass.com
Eau Claire Woodworks
After a decade of working as a finish carpenter in the greater Milwaukee area, Tim Brudnicki shifted course to fine woodworking. Today, Brudnicki’s wood creations range from cabinets and tables of all shapes and sizes to wood sculptures, as well as built-in furniture and mantles. He crafts his creations from wood harvested from a tree nursery on his property in rural Eau Claire, which replenishes much of the wood he uses, as well as lumber obtained from local Amish sawyers. Brudnicki’s work is inspired by nature, including his many trips to the Boundary Waters canoe area in northern Minnesota. Pieces from his River’s Edge collection combine the natural beauty of black walnut with pebbles from the shores of Lake Superior. Despite its heritage of craftsmanship, Eau Claire Woodworks has a minimalist look to it that would be right at home in the most modern of homes. eauclairewoodworks.com
Girardini Design
Julie and Ken Girardini are the principal designers at their small studio in rural Maryland, specializing in creating unique metal objects for the home, including tables, mirrors, lighting, clocks, serveware, hooks, candle holders and vases. The self-taught artisans have been creating handmade metal home goods primarily out of cold-rolled steel—products made by rolling or pressing steel into finished goods at a low temperature—for nearly 30 years. As a finishing touch, they incorporate elements such as glass, brass, copper, paper, and wood to each piece. girardinidesign.com
Kaihoi
New this year at the American Craft Show is Minnesota woodworker Grant Kaihoi. After growing up on the Minnesota prairie, where he picked up the craft of woodworking, he left to study art and design with a concentration on wood at Northern Michigan University. When he returned to Minnesota, he founded his own woodworking studio, Kaihoi, to marry his love of craft with art. Based in St. Cloud, Kaihoi specializes in modern, live-edge, single-stab tables and furniture what he hopes will be among “the next generation of heirlooms.” One of his signature products is the Sabbath Chair, which is intended to compel the sitter to rest, retreat, and reflect, drawing them into solid contact with the earth. grantkaihoi.com
If You Go:
American Craft Show Preview Party: Thursday from 6 p.m.-9 p.m.. Regular hours: Friday from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. @ St. Paul RiverCentre, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul; tickets are $11 per day or $75 for preview party @ craftcouncil.org