"You’ve got to get out past your fingertips."
Glasswork in the Zimmerman family goes back at least five generations, and their signature paperweights can be found in homes throughout Indiana. As Kerry Zimmerman puts it, he “comes from a long line of glass people.” As children, he and his brother Bart pretended to be glass blowers using sticks around the campfire. “What separates us from other glass people is the diversity of what we do. Each generation has added to the inventory. Everything that we do has a purpose. We are making functional pieces of glass that people can use that are also art pieces.”
In addition to their gallery full of beautiful items, Kerry and his family have transformed Zimmerman Art Glass into a community gathering space in Corydon. Even the work room is designed to facilitate conversation, with bleacher-style seating for visitors. Kerry has welcomed his apprentice, Jennifer Hunt, into the family business. Repetition is key, and the orders that pour in year-round give Jennifer ample opportunities to practice hot-glass techniques.