PENLAND SEARCHES COMINGS, GOINGS
FOR NEW DIRECTOR & GOOD NEWS...
Penland is currently looking for a new director to
replace Verne Stanford, who has resigned after
five and a half years of energetic leadership.
William Watson, Chairman of the Board of
Trustees, has named a Search Committee of
current and former Board members.
The past five years under Verne's direction have
been years of rapid change and development
highlighted by extensive expansion of the pro
gram. A philosophical commitment to providing
the climate and the facilities which will best foster
the development of ideas has provided the
foundation for a series of changes. During this
period both the studios and the housing have had
major renovations and/or refurbishing, the dining
room was expanded and a new larger kitchen
constructed. A new wood studio was completed
and several other construction projects are in
progress. The original weaving cabin has been
converted into a Visitor's Center and Ridgeway,
another of the original buildings, now houses a
gallery, library and coffee house and is available
to the community.
Penland is nearing the end of a major capital
campaign which has supported many of the
renovations and has increased the School's endow
ment. Verne has also reorganized and expanded
the administrative staff and introduced computers
both in the office and in the curriculum. He has
provided a number of vehicles for craftpeople to
give consideration to issues confronting the crafts
movement today. These include the publication of
the Penland Journal and gatherings at Penland such
as the recent Iron Symposium.
Joy Stanford has been carrying two staff roles. As
School Coordinator, she is responsible for the
smooth functioning of the kitchen, housekeeping
and all special events. As Program Coordinator,
she has been responsible for the myriad details
involved in putting together 32 weeks of classes.
Verne and Joy's three sons have also been
involved at Penland both as students and as mem
bers of construction or maintenance crews. At
present, Jason is a student at NC State in Raleigh;
Aaron is a student at the University of Utah and
Jonah is in the Visual Arts program at the NC
School of the Arts.
Verne feels he has accomplished the things he set
out to do at Penland and that the time has come to
move on. As he thinks about the next adventure in
his life following the intense 24-hour involvement
at Penland, he finds himself "thinking a lot about
having a private life".
Verne and Joy will leave a lot of friends and a big
hole behind when they go and the Search Commit
tee welcomes your help in filling that void! The
current schedule calls for a July 7th deadline
for inquiries. If you have suggestions or want to
apply yourself, write Susan Larson, Penland
Search Committee, Box 250, Penland, NC 28765.
First, the only returning Fellow is Vincent Martinez, who was joined in March by Linda Crabill, Sarah
Heimann and Mary Trechsel. Later in the so-called spring came Marion Carter, Jessie Davenport, Audrey
Fontaine, Julie Leonard and Carla Lianas.
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Sally Morgan, Penland's Development Coordinator, and Judson Guerard, glassblower and maintenance
crew, were married in Weaverville, NC (Sally's hometown) on May 27th. A neighbor and good friend of the
family hosted a party and the gray day turned bright and beautiful in time for guests to wander around
outside and enjoy the view and the breeze. Lots of Penland people made it to the reception as did a large con
tingent of Jud's family from Sanford, NC and Charleston, SC, and friends from their other lives. They had a
mini-honeymoon in Abingdon, VA. Always on the lookout for an excuse to party, the Penland staff and
others had a pot luck for Sally and Judson at Alana Barkley's house the Thursday before the wedding with
lots of good food and goodies.
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Geri Camarda, Publications Coordinator, is a clay artist in her other life. She shared her work with the
Peniand community in a show at Ridgeway Gallery in May and then packed it all up in her truck to deliver to
several shows; a group exhibition entitled Artifacts at the Clay Studio in Philadelphia from June 4-24th; an ex
hibition of two artists at the Community Council for the Arts in Kinston, NC, from June 4-30th, and another
group show at Sculpture Showplace Gallery in Atlanta, GA, from July 21st through August 30th. Geri's work
is abstract, figurative sculpture which is handbuilt and woodfired with oxides.
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New work by Richard Eckerd, a Penland Resident, was exhibited at the Glass Gallery in Bethesda, MD,
during the month of May. Randy Shull, Resident in Wood, taught a sculpture workshop at Horizons in
Amherst, MA, in June On his way to MA, he delivered work to galleries in Washington and Philadelphia and
he's also showing in Atlanta and San Diego. In October, he'll install another outdoor site installation at UNC /
Charlotte as part of an exhibition on Penland.
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We're always thrilled when Penland people move on to the next phase in their craft careers, but it's with
mixed emotions because this place has a way of making family out of everyone who stays longer than one
session! Exciting fall plans are bubbling up all over the place for Penland's Residents and former Fellows.
Photography Resident Kathy Campbell has a tenure track position as an Assistant Professor of Art at the
State University of New York at Buffalo. She'll be teaching intermediate and non-silver photography this
year, team teaching a graduate seminar in studio. The facilities are very good with even better prospects
when the department moves to a brand new campus in about three years. Also leaving for a teaching posi
tion, Ceramist JoAnn Schnabel has been appointed to the faculty at Tulane University.
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Off to graduate school are Joe Niediander who has a full assistantship at Normal University in Illinois. Lilith
Eberle will also be studying at Normal. Doug Harling has a full assistantship at the University of Southern
Illinois in Carbondale. Suze Lindsay has a partial assistantship at Louisiana State University while Mary
Gager was accepted to her first choice of law school at UNC/Chapel Hill. Jane Shellenbarger was awarded a
scholarship to Kansas City Art Institute.
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We're usually not too pleased when instructors call and cancel but there are always exceptions to everything!
Ricky Bernstein, who was scheduled to teach in the glass studio during Session 2, called with the joyous
news that after a four year wait, he and his wife Betsy Cary had just learned that they would be able to adopt
a baby girl from Nepal. We share their joy and offer our congratulations and good wishes for a happy life.
The glass studio will always be there!!!
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As Penland s capital campaign draws to a close, our peripatetic director has been racking up the miles in
search of the elusive bucks that are still needed. But Verne Stanford has also included some artistic outreach
in his schedule. In March he was part of a panel on Residency Programs in Ceramics in the US for the
National Council on Education in Ceramic Arts (NCECA) Conference in Kansas City. He is on the Outdoor
Sculpture Selection Committee of St.John's Museum in Wilmington, NC, and spent June 7th and 8th in
Charleston judging crafts for awards at the Spoleto Festival.
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Matthew Kangas, who was a resident in craft criticism at Penland and continues as a very good friend, has
been named a Renwick Fellow. This prestigious honor includes room and board and a stipend for a year in
Washington plus full access to the resources of the Smithsonian.