Who We Are
Who We Are and Our Mission
American MemoryCraft is the producer of the finest line of hand blown glass urns for cremation memorial use in the United States. We are not a factory. We are a group of art professionals working together to produce one memorial vessel at a time, by hand, for one family at a time. Our mission, from the beginning, has been to provide the finest quality hand blown glass memorials that meet the needs of the professional and private cremation community at the very best value.
You most likely want to know something about who we are. Our history actually starts much further back than 2008. American MemoryCraft is made up of professional master glass blowers who have made memorial vessels for decades as individuals. But in 2008, something occurred that made clear that the U.S. was shifting to a more individualized method of memorial. Increased inquiries came in…requests that we design and deliver more colorful and, dare I say, lively Cremation Urn designs. This growing interest in our art drove us to look further into what was going on…
Origins & Growth
Due to these requests, we did some research and reflection. Consequently we attended the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) National Convention in Las Vegas as a group of folks working together. We showed a broad range of art from vessels to solid glass memorials. The attendees absolutely mobbed us! They had not seen such amazing and beauty applied to their profession before. Rather, they had become very used to factory-made vessels of cast or machined metals, stone and clay. Our vessels were an epiphany! After our time there, we were absolutely overwhelmed with an influx of orders from companies big and small! As a result, now you can see American MemoryCraft hand blown glass cremation memorials across the US. We have even shipped to Germany, England and Australia!
This has been an amazing time for all of us. We have been slowly building what we haltingly call a “product line” (an abhorrent term to artists…so we don’t use it much!). At the same time, we make it a point to learn about what individual families need in a cremation memorial. And we are always learning how to make the most consistent and usable line of hand blown glass memorials available anywhere better.
A Labor of Love & Personal Growth
You hear people say that their work is a “labor of love.” I can tell you personally that we may not have understood what that axiom really meant until we began providing urns to grieving families. Each of us has faced the need that our “product” serves within the decade we’ve been involved. So now, when we hear the stories of the families we serve and the little piece of happiness and comfort our Urns and Keepsakes bring them, we know deep down just how important our small contribution can be. We truly appreciate and love hearing the shared stories of the families we serve, whether through our funeral professional network or a comment shared directly with us.
This effort has also helped us expand as individuals. Through sympathy and shared experience, we grow empathy. Empathy can materialize in a very practical way as we slowly take what we learn from peoples’ experiences with our art and convert it to practical application. We learn from professionals and from families who share their experiences.
Why Choose American MemoryCraft?
Here’s what makes us and our hand blown glass urns the most appropriate hand blown glass memorials available:
- Opaque white liner to prevent contents from being visible from the outside
- Each piece is guaranteed unique, never to be made again
- Full size urns* designed to fit 12” standard niches
- Custom Size and Color requests
- Exclusive color patterns
- Unique palettes (color sets) to suit any preference or environment
*except Urn Deco
Meet the American MemoryCraft Team
Lee Wassink
Master Glass Blower
Keegan Brons
Master Glass Blower
Nathan Sheafor
Master Glass Blower
Steve Pechon
Master Glass Blower
Dennis Hoerauf
Master Glass Blower
Eli Beard
Managing Member and Owner, American MemoryCraft
Jason Laret
Master Glass Blower
Thank You
Our thanks and our empathy go out to all the families who have needed what we call “our purpose.” Thank you all, not only for buying our work, but for sharing a bit of your lives and losses. We understand what an intimate and personal time you are experiencing during a loss. An awesome responsibility comes with the trust you impart to us. We promise to always learn to be present and listening so that those we serve in the future can benefit.
Warmest regards and peace to you.
Eli Beard
Owner, American MemoryCraft Urns & Keepsakes
eli@americanmemorycraft.com
Get In Touch
To send an inquiry regarding pricing, ordering, design, special sizes or colors, please use the contact form below. We are always grateful for customer testimonials and invite you to submit yours here as well. Please let us know if we can include it on our Testimonials page.
You can contact us by phone at 541-858-2555. We look forward to speaking with you! Contact us by mail at:
Rogue Art Glass, LLC
PO Box 760
Grants Pass, OR 97528
