Featured story: "The Glass Builder"
How does an artisan turn their passion for quality, handcrafted wares into a nationally renowned business? Annie Morhauser, glass artist and founder of the very successful Annieglass, has some ideas.
Dear Friends,
Glass artist Ann Morhauser started her company, Annieglass, with little more than debt and determination. Today, her unique and affordable handcrafted glassware is found in stores across the country—and in The Smithsonian. How did she get here? And what can other aspiring artisan-entrepreneurs learn from her journey?
This week’s featured story is a classic Craftsmanship tale of artistry, innovation, and grit. Originally published in our Winter 2018 issue, it just happens to relate closely to our current theme on “The Future of Craftsmanship.” I hope you’ll enjoy reading “The Glass Builder,” written by Peggy Townsend. We also have an audio version of this story available, narrated by Avanthika Srinivasan. You can listen to it directly from our site, or wherever you get your podcasts.
In other news, we’re working on some new offerings that we’re excited to roll out soon, as part of our our forthcoming reader-supported publication here on Substack. This won’t change our regular weekly stories or our magazine archives, which have always been offered free of charge and free of ads, and will remain so. We’re simply adding another layer of rich, unique content that we hope our readers will be inspired to support. More on all of this very soon.
Our Spring issue will continue through the end of May. Each Friday until then, as is our custom, we will release a feature story, short article, mini-documentary, photo essay, or podcast that relates to our mission — to “create a world built to last.” Along with stories that speak to each issue’s theme, we always have works on other topics, so please, stay tuned.
In the meantime, I hope you'll always find something intriguing to read, watch, or listen to within our pages. We welcome your thoughts via email, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Thank you for reading and sharing our stories, for donating to our cause when you can, and for being such a loyal part of the Craftsmanship community.
Be well,
Todd Oppenheimer
Editor & Publisher, Craftsmanship Quarterly
Spring 2023: The Future of Craftsmanship
Look at almost anything you own of real quality, and you immediately see its maker's commitment to beauty, functionality, and longevity. Those values, which in our mind define works of craftsmanship, are being aggressively tested these days, as more and more material goods exhibit shoddy workmanship, and are not made to last. The trash this creates not only damages our environment, it also erodes the principles of excellence that advance us, both individually and collectively. In this issue, we introduce you to some brave souls and organizations that are fighting to preserve, and expand, the intelligence in our hands.