Today we’d like to introduce you to Therese Kuempel.
Therese, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I had an incredible teacher in high school, Stephanie Hargreaves, who got me turned onto sculpture and making objects. I knew when I left high school that I wanted to make things with my hands for a living. When I was in college at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, I aimed to get my hands on as many sculptural practices as possible. At SAIC, I had the freedom to enroll in ceramics, mold making, casting large scale metal sculptures in a foundry, wax and plaster working, and metalsmithing and small scale jewelry casting. I found my passion in metalsmithing and small scale jewelry casting. Being an artist with a background in sculpture, jewelry making gave me the freedom to still explore my passion for three dimensional objects but with the flexibility of working on a smaller scale. Once I graduated college, I opened an Etsy shop, created a website, made wholesale linesheets, registered my business, and held my breath hoping that orders would come in. When they did, I realized that this was something that I could feasibly make a living doing (and as an added bonus, was able to work for myself and from home).
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Some of my biggest challenges along the way have been the ability to hone in my designs, while simultaneously staying true to myself but also fresh and relevant season to season (also, figuring out who exactly my customer demographic is and what they want). Participating in retail shows locally in Chicago and beyond has certainly been helpful in providing me with the criticism that is so essential to my business, creative, and personal growth. Critique was something that was so crucial to my success in college and something that I inevitably lost after I graduated from that creative community. Interacting with my customers in person and listening to their feedback has become like critique for me beyond college and has proven to be super helpful. Lastly, with the freedom and flexibility of self employment comes the responsibility to keep things up on the business end and I have had to learn to manage my time both between making and book keeping – it’s not all fun and jewelry making all the time!
Please tell us about Therese Kuempel Jewelry.
My name is Therese Kuempel and I am the owner and metalsmith of Therese Kuempel Jewelry. All of my pieces are handcrafted with love from start to finish in the suburbs of Chicago. My jewelry is hand made using a combination of metalsmithing and metalcasting techniques and finished with semi-precious gemstones. I am involved in every part of the making process from fabrication, finishing, packaging, shipping, photography, website production, answering emails – everything! My jewelry consists of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings, but I think that the product that tends to set my designs apart are my handmade lighter cases. Something that began as a novelty item and a “thing” that I made for fun for myself, I decided to produce them on a larger scale and offer them for retail and wholesale. Once I did, they became something that I think people found unique and coveted.
What has been your proudest moment for your business so far?
I think the proudest moment for my business so far has been achieving the ability to travel with my work beyond Chicago. The community in Chicago has been so phenomenal to me over the past few years, continually supportive and receptive of my work, but seeing people across the country enjoy my pieces miles away from home has been very rewarding (although my Chicago customers are still my favorite and die hard with their support!).
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theresekuempel.com
- Instagram: @theresekuempel
- Other: www.etsy.com/shop/theresekuempel
Image Credit:
Therese Kuempel
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