Meet your makers

Meet Derek

Motorcyclist, vintage t-shirt collector, stemware whiz.

DEREK DISHES ON THE PURSUIT OF THE PRECIOUS OBJECT

"It is addictive when you start working with glass–that pursuit of getting better."

WHETHER SUN OR SNOW, THERE’S GLASS TO BLOW

Small objects gave Derek big dreams. It began with a friend making beads in high school and selling them in the hall. The small glass pieces gave Derek inspiration to find a glassblowing class, where he instantly felt a connection to the craft. Soon Derek changed scenery, relocating from snowy Minnesota to complete a glassblowing degree at the University of Hawaii. Derek stayed in the sunshine for nearly a decade, teaching high school glassblowing in Hawaii. After nine years, home for a family visit, Derek met the crew of glassblowers at Hennepin Made. The next thing you know, he’s part of the HM family and back to residing in Minnesota full time.

Derek Hostetler

"When you work with somebody for long enough, the communication kind of dissipates and it’s really like a dance. you can flow back and forth without a lot of verbal communication."

A DUTY TO BEAUTY

Derek is a glass expert, whether on his own or as a collaborator. Legend has it that once Derek got so in the zone that his legs became badly burned by the gloryhole without him even realizing. When not at Hennepin Made, Derek is still dedicated to bringing handcrafted beautiful objects into the world. His vast output of work includes private commissions, sculpture and notoriously difficult stemware. But it’s not all work and no play. When not in the studio, you can also find Derek riding one of his many motorcycles, probably wearing one of his collected 90’s screen print t-shirts.

"There’s a place for mass production and handmade things. What mass production lacks is the preciousness that a handmade object has–the human element, that connection with the person that made it."