Jennings Hotel

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Greg Hennes' first visit to the Jennings Hotel was five years ago. The building had been carved up for office space, but languished for lack of tenants.
April Baer / OPB

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Hennes says the hotel's exterior needs some repairs. He learned from a member of the Jennings family the facade was sourced from a local brickworks.
April Baer / OPB

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For all the work the Jennings demands, Hennes actually has a bigger goal in mind. He’s making preliminary plans to start a folk school in Joseph.
April Baer / OPB

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Jennings, interior hall.
April Baer / OPB

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Use what you've got — this pulley from the Jennings basement has been pressed into service for the renovation.
April Baer / OPB
![Carpenter Brian Pietrowski says the vibe working at the Jennings has been "nice. It's mostly artists here. Greg has the one room he's offered up to the Josephy Center down the road [for visiting artists]. It feels like a hostel."](https://opb-opb-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/FK6GJXVYAFDDDENS6LIRWJRDQI.jpg?auth=cb59f2dd2c1339adc8631e54338ffdc03c1110d2caa51ee8bb0ac0cd2cc5b35e&width=150)
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Carpenter Brian Pietrowski says the vibe working at the Jennings has been "nice. It's mostly artists here. Greg has the one room he's offered up to the Josephy Center down the road [for visiting artists]. It feels like a hostel."
April Baer / OPB

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Hennes grew up in a Minnesota town of 12,000. "For me it's largely about the landscape, having a place to escape that's quiet, a way out of daily routines."
April Baer / OPB

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Christina Mrozik and Zoe Keller worked together on several pieces during their residency. This is a solo work in graphite by Mrozik.
April Baer / OPB

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The idea for a folk school near the Jennings was born from Hennes' experiences at North House in Grand Marais, MN. Being able to pull from local artisans, he said, "is a huge part of what drew me to the idea of doing a folk school here."
April Baer / OPB