Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1543537
Aspen Golann and the Appalachian Traditions A midst world-class painting, sculpture, photography, and installations at Art Basel Miami Beach and its pendant fair Design Miami this past December, one artist's work made us stand still. It consisted of two humble but exquisitely wrought brooms. After scanning carefully curated booths while navigating a throng of collectors at Design Miami, the early Americana vibe of Friends Artspace was a palette cleanser, garnering Best of Show — Thematic Expression for its quirky group exhibition, "Quartersawn." The brooms were by Aspen Golann — who, by way of synchronicity, will be a speaker this spring at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and fêted in a private cocktail hosted by Loewe. Golann is a 2025 finalist for the international Loewe Foundation Craft Prize for Group Work, of American craft and design, go to papercitymag.com. Hear the artist in conversation with Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, associate curator of craft Elizabeth Essner in "Aspen Golann: Tools for the Future," Thursday, March 12, 6:30 pm, at the Lynn Wyatt Theater, Kinder Building (included in museum admission). mfah.org. The Lost Art of Broomcraft By Catherine D. Anspon 2024, a startling and slightly surreal five-piece broom she fashioned from hard maple, brass, broomcorn, and waxed linen. During our Zoom call, New Hampshire- based Golann said of her broom obsession: "Brooms became identified with witches because they were a symbol of female power — their way of breaking out and leaving the house [by flying away]. It's impossible to ignore the connection between women's power and women's oppression in this common object that we use and is everywhere." Golann follows Appalachian traditions, eschewing electricity in the practice of making, then elevates her brooms via advanced furniture joinery. "They're highly sculptural and more than a tool or implement. I think of these brooms as objects of fine craft," she says. For insider tales of Golann's improbable ascent from high school teacher with no wood chops to one of the rising stars CHAD WEEDEN KATE BENSON LOAM MARKETING Clockwise from top left, all works by Aspen Golann: Fruiting Bloom, 2025. Woven Brush, 2020. The artist in her studio. 32