Date: Saturday, November 14

Time: 9:00am to 2:00pm

Admission:
$100 – General Admission
$80 – Members/Volunteers

Ages: Adults 18 and up

Participants will learn the craft of making brooms from natural plant fibers while exploring the cultural history behind this everyday tool.

We’ll begin with an introduction to the primary plant used in traditional broommaking, sorghum, including how it’s grown, harvested, prepared for use, and how it made it’s way to America.

We’ll also explore broom-making traditions from cultures within the United States, highlighting the cultural significance of brooms as objects of labor, ritual, and protection.

Part 1: Pine Needle Mini Brooms
Participants will learn to weave an Appalachian-style turkey wing broom using pine needles. Then, they’ll build on those foundational techniques by creating a hawk tail broom, also using pine needles. After completing these two practice brooms, participants may choose to make an additional pine needle mini broom to refine their technique.

Part 2: Broomcorn Whisk Broom
Participants will advance to their final project: creating a traditional broomcorn (sorghum) whisk broom.

By the end of the workshop, participants will leave with 2-3 completed pine needle mini brooms, one finished broomcorn whisk broom, and the knowledge and confidence to continue exploring the traditional craft of broommaking.

Broomcorn for future projects will be available for purchase at the end of class.

To apply for a scholarship, lease fill out this Scholarship Application or contact [email protected] for more information. Please apply for  scholarships by Saturday, November 7 at 5:00pm CST.

When you register for this workshop, you will be asked to provide any accommodations requests. If you have any questions or would like to request an additional accommodation, please contact [email protected] at least 72 hours prior to the event start.

Abeni Pierson, a Chicagoland native, is a fiber artist and educator whose work centers on sustainable, hand‑made American folk art traditions. Trained in Fashion Design at Columbia College Chicago, Abeni was drawn away from the fashion industry to focus on traditional techniques including pine needle weaving, gourd carving, cattail weaving, and broomcorn weaving. Based in Chicago, they forage, clean, dye, and grow many of their own materials, including broomcorn and gourds, keeping folk art practices alive through hands‑on teaching.

Learn more about Abi on their website: https://www.wherethepinesgrow.com/ 

For all fee-based programs: If cancelling…

• …two weeks prior –> Full refund
• …between two weeks and 48 hours prior and there is a waitlist –> Full refund
• …between two weeks and 48 hours and there is not a waitlist –> Credit to be used by June 30th*
• …within 48 hours –> Credit to be used by June 30th*

*If there is an upcoming program with the same cost, you can request to have your ticket transferred to that program.