Photo courtesy of J. Sannerud Studios
Wooden bowls from J. Sannerud Studios
J. Sannerud Studios
*Winner of the Home category
Proprietor: Jim Sannerud
Location: St. Paul/Grand Marais
Photo by Eliesa Johnson
Jim Sannerud
Like many of his Norwegian ancestors, Jim Sannerud began making things out of necessity. When he was a kid growing up in rural Anoka County, he built tree forts and foot-powered go-carts using his grandfather’s woodworking tools and whatever scraps he found lying around. He made his first piece of furniture—a corner cabinet he fashioned after one his uncle had—when he was 8. “Anything I felt like I needed, I would figure out how to make,” he says. Today, Sannerud splits his time between his woodworking studio in St. Paul and Grand Marais, where he rents space from artist Betsy Bowen. He spends about five months a year Up North, harvesting pine and birch from loggers and landowners who have dead or soon-to-be-dead trees. “The trees are coming down for other reasons, not for my purposes. The forest is one of my favorite places to be,” he says. Designing and building chairs, tables, and other furniture is his first love, but he also enjoys wood turning. Inspired by old Scandinavian bowls, Sannerud made a series of carved wooden bowls, which sold about as fast as he could make them. He used milk paint to give the bowls a colorful, earthy finish. His next project, inspired by a visit to his ancestors’ farm in Rauland, Norway, debuts January 21 at the Norway House in Minneapolis. Funded with a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, Sannerud’s At the Table exhibit includes a white pine table, seating for eight, and dinnerware, all made by his hands. The exhibit is also a bit of a social experiment, with Sannerud inviting guests who don’t know one another to bring a dish and have a communal meal. “I like going to Europe and having long meals,” he says. “You have conversation, so that’s why I wanted to create this dining experience.” jsannerud.com
"The product has to be better than the story. It's got to be timeless and fit anywhere. It also needs to be sustainable and thoughtful, and bonus points if it makes me smile." —Made in the North Home Judge Rita Mehta, founder of The American Edit
Home Category Finalists
Ceramics by Adam Gruetzmacher
Adam Gruetzmacher
Proprietor: Adam Gruetzmacher
Location: St. Paul
It’s often noted that Scandinavian and Japanese designs share many of the same aesthetic traits. Add some midcentury modern to that mix, and you’ve described Adam Gruetzmacher’s ceramics. A native of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Gruetzmacher moved to the Twin Cities in 2010 after college for a fellowship at the Northern Clay Center. His mugs, pitchers, bowls, plates, and other vessels combine organic, irregular curves with angular, dimensional seams and handles. The concrete-like glaze that Gruetzmacher mixes from scratch makes the display-worthy stoneware food-, dishwasher-, and microwave-safe. “It was important that I am making something useful and functional so people would want to use it every day,” he says. adamgruetzmacher.com
Light fixture from Tandem Made
Tandem Made
Proprietors: Erin and Nate Moren
Location: Minneapolis
Some couples first meet through friends or at a bar, but Erin and Nate Moren’s romance ignited during a college woodworking class. After graduating from MCAD and some time in Chicago, the couple moved back to the Twin Cities and launched Tandem Made in 2011. Their products often combine wood and metal, including custom-made furniture, sculptures, built-ins, and home accessories. “We’re trying to be as timeless as we can,” Erin says. “We want to create pieces that will last a long time.” What’s in store for 2017? Maybe a baby collection, they laughed, which would be just in time for the couple’s most anticipated creation yet—their first baby, due in March. tandemmade.com
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Louise Gray
Proprietors: Alexandra Gray Bennett and Jocelin Johnson
Location: Minneapolis
After launching their business at a New York trade show early in 2015, Louise Gray quilt founders Alexandra Gray Bennett and Jocelin Johnson were inundated with retail orders (Forage Modern, plus dozens of other boutiques around the globe) and media attention (Vogue, Better Homes and Gardens, among others). Handcrafted by local artisans, the cotton quilts have a minimalist, Scandinavian-modern design. New to the collection are throw pillows, quilt design prints (screen-printed locally), and wooden quilt hangers. Modern baby quilts are also in the plans. “There’s a definite work ethic here,” Bennett says about being a maker in the North. “It’s also cold—it’s just so cold,” she laughs. All the more reason to curl up with a quilt. louisegray.com
Meet the Guest Judge
Rita Mehta | Made in the North Home Judge
Rita Mehta
Rita Mehta
Rita Mehta is the Head of Retail Strategy at the Minneapolis Institute of Art and the founder of The American Edit, a style-focused website that celebrates American made design, responsible manufacturing and conscious consumption.
Rita spent seven years at Target Corporation, working across sourcing, product development and merchandising strategy. During this time her interest in style and design grew into a focus on quality and responsible production, which led to the launch of The American Edit in 2013. On the website, social media platforms and podcast, Rita profiles American made brands and products, and she has collaborated with national brands including Barneys, Target, Eileen Fisher, One Kings Lane and FedEx.
*The Made in the North winners and finalists were determined by guest judges and Mpls.St.Paul Magazine's editorial team.
