2026 State of the Art Prize, New Hampshire

About Aspen Golann

Rollinsford, NH

Aspen Golann is a furniture maker, artist, and educator whose work explores gender and power through iconic American furniture forms. Trained in 17th–19th century woodworking, she blends traditional hand-tool techniques with contemporary themes in both fine furniture and sculpture. In 2020, she founded The Chairmaker’s Toolbox, a national initiative that creates pathways for marginalized makers into traditional craft practices and promotes equity in the field of chairmaking. Aspen teaches Furniture Design at the Rhode Island School of Design and is a graduate of the North Bennet Street School. She is a 2025 Artisan-in-Residence at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and her work is held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She leads craft workshops internationally, focusing on the intersection of American decorative arts, historical research, and inclusive teaching methods. She is the recipient of the 2025 United States Artists Fellowship, the 2023 Maxwell Hanrahan Award in Craft, and the Mineck Fellowship. Aspen serves on the boards of A Workshop of Our Own, The Furniture Society, and The Society of Arts + Crafts. She lives and works in Southern New Hampshire.

Aspen Golann is a furniture maker, artist, and educator whose work explores gender and power through iconic American furniture forms. Trained in 17th–19th century woodworking, she blends traditional hand-tool techniques with contemporary themes in both fine furniture and sculpture. In 2020, she founded The Chairmaker’s Toolbox, a national initiative that creates pathways for marginalized makers into traditional craft practices and promotes equity in the field of chairmaking. Aspen teaches Furniture Design at the Rhode Island School of Design and is a graduate of the North Bennet Street School. She is a 2025 Artisan-in-Residence at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and her work is held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She leads craft workshops internationally, focusing on the intersection of American decorative arts, historical research, and inclusive teaching methods. She is the recipient of the 2025 United States Artists Fellowship, the 2023 Maxwell Hanrahan Award in Craft, and the Mineck Fellowship. Aspen serves on the boards of A Workshop of Our Own, The Furniture Society, and The Society of Arts + Crafts. She lives and works in Southern New Hampshire.