While most of the world has been in lockdown since March, Susan Spiranovich and Adam Holtzinger, founders of Brooklyn glassmaking studio KEEP, devised a new way to continue working without a physical space. “We needed to not only keep our minds busy, but give ourselves something to look forward to when we could regather in the studio,” says Spiranovich. To establish a sense of collaboration, KEEP worked remotely with fellow Urban Glass fabricator, Anders Rydstedt, on a platform, called Re:Gather, that combines the intimate process of glassblowing with our inherent need for social connection. Lending itself to the obvious connotation, the name also references the act of “gathering” molten glass at the end of a blowpipe.
“We wanted to create something hopeful, optimistic, and representative of social connection,” says Spiranovich. This emotional hankering led to Cupples, a pair of interlocking glasses with a Gestalt-like composition: one features an inverted central band, while the other is equipped with a concave loop (both double as ergonomic grips). Offered in five colors, including aqua, amber, and blush, the first product is made and shipped from the artesian’s Brooklyn studio.