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Founded by Tom Bierlein and Ryan Justak, Potluck is a Minneapolis based design + build studio working in garden-making, sculpture, furniture, and small scale architecture.

 

Our inspiration for the name comes from the communal meal, Potluck, where each participant brings a dish, contributing to the creation of the whole.  This non-hierarchical structure, defined by its collaborative spirit, inspires our approach to the practice. We want to cultivate the concept of a Potluck Ecology; a belief that each participant, the stone, the plant, the lumber, and the makers, are active collaborators in the process.

We consider ourselves somewhere between curator and creator, constructing spaces and objects that lean into growth, change, and decay. While these principles are present in all of our work, they are most visible in the garden. The garden is a site of perpetual discovery and encounter. Day to day, new visitors and inhabitants make themselves visible, flowers bloom and go to seed and new opportunities to experience wonder present themselves. 

 

We believe in using native plants, supporting local small business, and creating work that inspires  a sense of wonder and respect for the natural world. 

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