We recently connected with Amelia Galvas and have shared our conversation below.

Amelia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I would have to say that it is when people give me sticks for their broom. They always have such great back stories..

I have used canes, tobacco sticks, driftwood. The stories are always so heartwarming. What a great way to remember someone or something!

And of course, the look on the clients face when they first see it is the greatest!!

Amelia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have been making brooms for around five years now. Which in the broom world is about five minutes. I met a gentleman who used to make brooms about 25 years ago. And, was eager to pass on the craft. The thing with heritage craft, is that if it’s not passed down, it will fade out. So, I couldn’t let that happen, and apprenticed underneath him for about a year and a half. I started out at the Knoxville Farmers Market about six months before the pandemic hit. Which was kind of great, because I was able to just take my materials and just do nothing but make brooms. Practice is absolute key when it comes to this. During that time I was able to see what worked and what didn’t.

Obtaining the sticks is a lot of fun. Spring and fall yard clean up and after storms are always the best time to go. I keep an outdoor saw and loppers in my car just in case.

I like to add found or up cycled things in my brooms. Leaving a small footprint is key. Friends will bring me bags of scraps from their craft- jewelers, potters, fiber artists, metal workers. It’s pretty great , I get to figure out where it all fits in.

Brooms are very personal. That is something I didn’t realize until I started making them. Your broom picks you. When you know you know. I can never get enough of seeing people falling in love with brooms!

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

There is a book called – ‘Steal Like An Artist’ by: Austin Kleon

It was given to me as a gift. And, it is genius!
It reminds us that we are human. Artists in particular, we feel like we have to be flawless at all times. Unobtainable standards.That’s a shame really, the flaws are the interesting parts.
When I need to be talked down off of a ledge, I will flip to a random page. There is always rational art advice.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

The art world needs to cool it’s heels a bit.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @aviarybroomco
• Facebook: Aviary Broom Co.
• Other: https://etsy.me/2J7fv6D Where you can find the brooms online.

Image Credits
Picture of Amelia- Holly Rainey