“Many Bristles, One Brush” Benches on Display at the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery in D.C.

August 28, 2025

BEREA, Ky. – A broom bench designed by Berea alum Katie Bister, has been selected for inclusion as part of the Renwick Gallery’s State Fairs: Growing American Craft exhibition Aug. 22-Sept. 7 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Katie, who also serves as manager of Berea College Student Craft’s Woodworking School at Pine Croft, led the construction of five of these benches to be available for use by museum guests.  

“My initial goal with designing these benches for the exhibition was to create something that inspired awe and wonder. In my limited understanding, that was what a State Fair was, an awe-inspiring spectacle,” Bister said. “But as I began the building process, I had a lot of time to spend in thought, and I came to the realization that state fairs are about so much more than just intrigue, awe and thrill. They are a celebration of community, what sets us apart and what unites us. While I do hope that these benches do inspire awe and wonder, I also hope that as you view and interact with them you think about your community.”

The bundles that create the Broom Bench ‘Skirt’ are made from broomcorn, a variety of sorghum that is traditionally used for making brooms and brushes. This broomcorn is bound under tension to a wooden dowel, which is used in affixing the bundle to the bench seat. Each ash or cherry seat has an average of 113 brush bundles. 

Hidden within the broomcorn skirt is a sturdy base that gives the bench the strength to be functional as a place to rest. The seat is textured with a carved pattern that creates visual interest and invites touch. Each handle is a bent lamination of 1/16 inch thick pieces of ash that are then rounded and shaped by hand. Broomcorn stalks are used to create the woven detail on the handles. 

 “It was a joy to be able to deliver these benches to the museum in person,” Bister, who graduated from Berea College in 2023, said of her creation. “Seeing the reactions of people on the street and the museum staff as we unloaded the benches made it all feel real. People immediately wanted to engage with the larger-than-life brooms, and that filled me with so much pride. I create furniture with people in mind. I want it to be a part of their lives, something used and cherished. Knowing that these benches get to be a part of this incredible exhibition and that people will have the opportunity to interact with and rest on them fills me with delight.”