The Mark Twain House & Museum Announces Adrien Broom's "Holding Space"

Press release

Adrien Broom's Holding Space Photography Exhibition Opens at The Mark Twain House & Museum in June 2025

A Seven-Year Exploration of the Historic Homes of Iconic Artists and Writers

Hartford, CT...The Mark Twain House & Museum is pleased to present Holding Space: The Historic Homes of Artists and Writers Interpreted by Adrien Broom, a solo exhibition by renowned photographer Adrien Broom. The exhibition will feature 56 cinematic photographs that blend historical research, artistic interpretation, and evocative storytelling. A free opening reception will be held at the museum (351 Farmington Avenue in Hartford, CT) on Thursday, May 29 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

For over seven years, Broom has meticulously researched and immersed herself in the spaces where some of the world's greatest literary and artistic minds once lived and created. Working with institutions such as The Mark Twain House, the Edward Hopper House, the Pollock-Krasner Home and Studio, the Emily Dickinson House, the Edward Gorey House, Gillette Castle, the Alice Austen House, and the Florence Griswold House, she has crafted a body of work that not only captures the spirit of these places but reimagines the creative forces that once inhabited them.

Her journey into this project began with an unexpected experience. "I spent four weeks living and creating artwork at Wentworth Woodhouse in Yorkshire, England. Once the largest private estate in England, the owners accepted me as a sort of artist-in-residence at the time. The building itself became my collaborator, and I was deeply inspired by the connection between its history and my own creative process. When I returned, I started researching other historic homes and realized that the places that resonated most with me were not just grand estates—they were the homes preserved because of the artists and writers who had lived there. That’s when I decided to devote all my energy to this project, to collaborating with these houses and the creatives who once called them home.”

Broom's photographic process is highly immersive and cinematic. She casts actors to portray these legendary figures and the significant people in their lives, constructing scenes that intertwine historical fact, artistic interpretation, and personal imagination. From theatrical casting sites and open calls to personal recommendations, each selection is carefully considered to bring authenticity to the work.

One of the most poignant images in Holding Space is from the Emily Dickinson House, a place that held deep inspiration for Broom. "One of my favorite pieces is a portrait of Emily Dickinson sitting at her desk, daydreaming out the window, enveloped by roses that seem to emerge from the wallpaper itself. The wallpaper in the image is an exact match to the pattern that originally adorned her home. I was drawn to her connection to nature, her reflections on human existence, and her solitude. I wanted to bring all of that to life in this image, to intertwine her world with the world she wrote about."

This exhibition is endorsed by all the historic house museums involved, recognizing its role in preserving and reimagining the artistic legacies of these spaces. The Mark Twain House &Museum, a landmark of American literary history, serves as the perfect venue to debut Holding Space. The exhibition offers an experience for art lovers, history buffs, literature enthusiasts, and collectors alike—anyone who seeks to engage with the past in a vivid and imaginative way.

Adrien Broom is a fine art and commercial photographer known for her strikingly atmospheric and fantastical imagery. Her work has been exhibited internationally at institutions such as the Florence Griswold Museum, the Hudson River Museum, and Fred Jones Jr Museum of Art, among others. She combines photography, set design, and narrative storytelling to create
immersive visual experiences.

The exhibition will be open to the public seven days a week starting May 30, 2025 from 9:30am to 5:30pm. Admission to the exhibition is included with regular and specialty Mark Twain House tour tickets. Museum Center-only admission that includes Holding Space is also available. For more information, please visit MarkTwainHouse.org.

The exhibition of Holding Space: The Historic Homes of Artists and Writers Interpreted by Adrien Broom at The Mark Twain House & Museum is sponsored by The Maximilian E. & Marion O. Hoffman Foundation with additional support provide by Webster Bank; the Connecticut State Legislature, administered by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts; and Baboo Fine Art Printing.