Grace Brogan: CULTIVATE
“I love that my work can be used on a daily basis as a functional item in everyday homes, and that other facets of my practice can be regarded as worthy of gallery walls to allow a broader audience to consider the items, histories, physical origins, and handed-down skills that surround us at all times”
2022 Artist-in-Residence at Moon-Randolph Homestead
Grace’s workspace at Moon Randolph Homestead
How was your experience as an Open AIR Artist-in-Residence?
My residency provided me with such a special time, a box let's say, within which I had the specific focus of exploring in a certain way that often isn't accessible to me in this current phase of my artistic life. It was the first time in a long time I could breathe into my practice. It was so special. The community of other artists and Open AIR staff was an additional boost of inspiration and encouragement. I also really appreciate the thoughtfulness that went into my host site match - it felt like a really good fit for my work and for me in several ways.
Brooms created by Grace
What was your research process during this time?
My research process was multi-faceted. From checking out several books from the library with varying degrees of connection with my primary artistic focus to expand my vision of what was possible, to exploring the archives, the general environment (and it's inhabitants - hello goats!), and the physical materials available at the Moon Randolph - it all informed my work during my residency.
Grace showcased her work during her artist talk at the homestead
What are you up to now (post Open AIR)?
My practice is back to being limited to just a handful of hours a week at the current moment, but that connection to the work is constantly informing ideas for the future and new approaches. And I am not a cynic of the idea that creativity can flourish with constraints. I can't be - I have a two-year-old ;). Next month (February 2023), I will be participating in a special broom-making mentorship with a couple of very skilled practitioners at John C Campbell Folk School. I feel like - especially with traditional craft, but also in general - there's always room for professional development, for tightening up technique.
I have a small line of production brooms that I sell through partnerships at a handful of boutiques, and I take a small number of commissions each quarter - mostly from other artists - for special broom and brush projects. Additionally, I'm really excited about what gallery installations have to offer my more sculptural pieces (more on that below), so try to make time to delve into that tangent of broader possibilities whenever possible.
Brooms created by Grace during her residency
What keeps you returning to this subject, body of work?
I love that my work can be used on a daily basis as a functional item in everyday homes, and that other facets of my practice can be regarded as worthy of gallery walls to allow a broader audience to consider the items, histories, physical origins, and handed-down skills that surround us at all times (or industrial, distant, complicated, and/or downright detrimental sources/processes that constitute our built environments). And on top of that, just the pure appreciation for the shape, color, and textures of these pieces that I hear from people - it's energizing. There's a lot to play with. There are many conversations to have. It's a garden bed with very rich soil that I plan to continue to cultivate, learn from, and see what grows.
Grace’s workspace
Tell us about your most recent solo exhibition?
A solo exhibit I had last summer (installed just before this residency began) at Western Cider in Missoula really allowed me to reach back into my fine arts background and expand (and exceed?) the limits of the traditional craft of broom making that I've been practicing over the last few recent years into an area of contemporary design that has my heart - and playing with how these things are on a spectrum rather than in one category or another, that they converse with each other and the viewer - this excites me and resonated with many people who saw the show. I hope to give this as much energy as possible in future months and years - I have lots of ideas buzzing around. Anyone with connections to exploratory contemporary craft galleries - let me know!
Broom created by Grace
Tell us about your artistic background?
I grew up drawing all of the time - pencil and paper, often portraiture, until I had some really supportive high school teachers who exposed me to ink and chalk and paint and the like. I studied art in undergrad and didn't take a single-media track. Instead, I took it as an opportunity to dabble in everything from printmaking to pottery. I also studied writing and was a working naturalist, which I think is relevant to my ongoing journey. In the subsequent years, between jobs on farms and in sustainable agriculture and arts nonprofits to pay off student loans, I was lucky enough to take days - and sometimes weeks - to study with artists and craftspeople in both formal and informal settings, from craft schools to personal studios. I also completed a master's of science in environmental studies that let me tie a lot of these disparate threads together through social science research, interviews of craftspeople, builders, growers, and makers, and storytelling. Throughout that decade or so, I kept returning to broom-making, and each time I did, incorporating different things (whether it was a concept about material sourcing with an eye on geological time or a little trick with indigo dying or wood firing porcelain), I learned from different teachers. And with a voracious appetite for interesting stuff in general, I try to draw inspiration from all over life and art and science and weird cultural rabbit holes and everything in between. Now I have a studio in my garage where art bursts out of me when my toddler is napping. And I'm always learning.
Grace presenting at her artist talk
To learn more about Grace, visit her website www.gracebrogan.com & check out her Instagram @grace.brogan.studio
