By Jean McLaughlin
Traditions run deep in Cathy Henson’s work. Her creativity was sparked early in childhood as she and her mother made baskets to use and to sell in Burnsville. She was also inspired by her master mason father’s many talents and creations. Everyone in her community was resourceful as gardeners, foragers, canners, small farmers and butchers.
Cathy Henson, artist
“The families in our community grew, dried and canned all the provisions possible to provide for their survival,” says Henson. “My family raised its own livestock and procured wild game whenever possible. We had a smokehouse where we preserved and cured meat for the winters. Walnuts, hickory nuts, chinquapins, blackberries, strawberries and wild plums were abundant in season and were carefully prepared and added to the garden stores each year to sustain the family.” Her grandmother taught her about trees and plants and which parts could be used for food and medicine. Roots, barks and twigs like bloodroot, ginseng, ramps, cohosh and even sassafras willow and spicebush were all gathered.
Her interest in brooms grew out of these early experiences of making necessities out of materials at hand. Fascinated by broom-making, she learned the art from Aspen Golann in 2021. “I love the idea of taking something as simple as twine wrapped around a stick and a handful of straw to make something functional and beautiful,” Henson says. “Just think, everyone, in every culture, in every home, has a broom of some kind or another.”
Her brooms showcase traditional styles. The Turkey Wing, Hawk’s Tail, Rooster Tail, pot scrubbers and vegetable brooms are all typical Appalachian-style brooms tied in a flat, narrow design to facilitate cleaning in small cracks and crevices. “Prior to this design change, prominent styles were round and bulky, making it difficult to achieve the desired results,” she says. “This Appalachian adaptation allowed for easier cleaning between gaps in the boards of their cabin floors and served them well.”
Twig brooms were the first types of brooms ever recorded and were used both inside and outside. “Cabin, porch and yard brooms and whisks soon made their way into the region,” Henson says. “These styles are tied using a different technique and often sown flat to achieve a thinner body.” People are resourceful, Henson says, and make use of what is readily available such as broom sage, corn shucks, pine needles and palm leaves. Thomas Jefferson introduced broomcorn to the US, and it was plentiful until the Depression when land was needed for food production. Broomcorn/African grass and Tampico (plant fibers) are now grown in Mexico where Henson sources her materials. She labels each broom with its style and source material.
Henson has a degree in Forestry and Wood Products Technology from Haywood Community College, and worked for the US Forest Service. As a leader in forest fire suppression, she assisted in fighting fires in western states as well as in NC. After retiring, she became a minister and worked as a rural postal carrier.
Her trademark is “Burnsville in Broom,” and her work is now carried by Mica Gallery. “For the rich and the poor alike, the broom is a necessity,” Henson says.
Mica is an artist-run gallery of fine art and contemporary craft located at 37 North Mitchell Avenue in Bakersville. Learn more at MicaGalleryNC.com, on Facebook at Mica Gallery NC or on Instagram at micagallerync.
