RI
Penland Line
NEWS FROM THE CAMPUS
STAFF CHANGES
As summer begins there are some new faces at Penland, and
several folks have switched hats. Geoff Calebrese will replace
Jenny Ledford as kitchen prep cook. Inspired by her work at
Penland, Jenny is leaving to study hotel management at Auburn,
where she has won a full scholarship. Kathryn Gremley will
continue to work in the store and has also joined the gallery staff.
Our services coordinator, Louanne DiBella will be get
ting extra help this summer from Lucas Thorpe, who was a
scholarship student last year. Cheryl Hughes has been hired as
a fulltime housekeeper, and former Core student Kim Purser
will replace Jeanne McClellan on nighttime security. Wood
worker Jake Chamberlain will take Kim’s spot in the Core
program. Robert Chiarito, who was a Concentration student
last fall, is the new photo coordinator.
Noreen White will manage the coffeehouse staff which
includes Jude Ashe, Maria Lopez, and Hannah Cole, all
Concentration students who have chosen to stay in the area. Be
I sure to stop in for a cup if you’re at Penland this summer.
I —Geraldine Plato
i
What Geraldinejailed to mention is that she will be away from her
desk quite a hit this summer. By the time you read this she andJohn Clark
.! will he the parents of a new baby girl. The whole staff will be pulling
' together to pick up the slack.
FROM THE PINES
I
i
i The good news is that summer enrollment is popping out at the
I seams. The bad news is that our kitchen and dining room will be
j Unable to accommodate many extra bodies. Lunch is our most
! crowded meal, so, unless you are here on business, I would like
i to ask you to refrain from lunching with us until fall. If you would
; like to come for a meal, you are welcome at breakfast or supper.
In any case, please make meal reservations twenty-four hours in
advance, and don’t forget to pay dining hall manager, John
l^cnick, before going through the food line. I look forward to
, seeing many of you throughout the summer, especially at the
I fourth of July celebration.
Louanne DiBella, Services Coordinator
Pines Phone: 765-7942
A GUIDE FOR PENLAND’S FUTURE
lu April, the Penland Board of Trustees and the staff participated
in a two-day retreat to begin work on a strategic plan. Staff and
Committees will develop the plan over the summer and present
1^ to the Board for approval in October. The process was
facilitated by Craig Dreeszen of the Arts Extension Service in
i^uiherst, MA. The plan is now in its second draft and shows that
Board and staff are well satisfied that the mission of the school
•s clear and current and that the programs in place serve our
inission well. There is, therefore, no intention to make major
changes in Penland’s summer or Concentration classes. The
filial plan will, however, include several new program opportu
nities, expansion of both outreach and development, some fine-
*^tining of governance, and an improved approach to infrastruc
ture.
In general Penland’s programming will continue to have
same balance of beginning and experienced students in the
majority of classes, augmented with a smaller number of profes
sional-level and special-purpose classes. Concentrations fill a
valuable niche in craft education and we will continue to build
on their strength. The plan calls for seeking increased credit
opportunities for college students and cooperative program
ming through affiliations with universities.
New areas which will be developed in the future are closer
interaction with design professionals and design education,
cooperative programs with craft-based industries, and a con
tinuation of thematic sessions both in summer and during
Concentration. A related concern is the development of ex
panded scholarship opportunities which would support a more
diverse student population and also expand the involvement of
residents of the tri-county area which surrounds the school.
Winter usage of the facility has been evolving over the past
few years as an increasing number of studios and housing are
winterized. However, it is clear that Penland’s administrative
and maintenance needs are better served by down-time in the
winter and there is now a clear decision not to create formal
ized, year round programming. In addition to the use of studios
by Core students and studio coordinators, there is the possibil
ity for short-term winter residencies and for the development
of a winter production operation with a focus on special line of
production pieces to be sold in the Penland Store and Gallery.
Changes in outreach, the facility, governance, and admin
istration will all be designed to give the most effective possible
support to the program at Penland. The Long Range Plan, once
adopted, will guide both the work of the staff and the regular
review of programs during the next three years.
FOR THE TENTH TIME
The Tenth Annual Benefit Auction will be held at Penland on
August 12. Admission for the auction and luncheon is $ 100 per
person. The Patron’s weekend is $200 per person and includes
these Friday events in addition to the auction: guided studio
tours, the Best of Penland dinner, Bagels at the Barns, and a
reception and preview exhibit. This year, celebrating ten auc
tions which have provided for steady improvements to the
studios, there will be a special patron’s auction of ten goblets by
ten different glass artists. These will be sold individually on
Friday evening.
Over one hundred pieces by current and former Penland
Residents and instructors will be sold in a silent auction Saturday
morning or during the live auction Saturday afternoon. As
always, there will be both sculptural and functional work in the
range of media taught at Penland. Anyone interested in attend
ing should call Lisa in the office at 704-765-2359 and request that
they be added to the invitation list.
FLETCHER FOUNDATION GRANT
The A. J. Fletcher Foundation in Raleigh, NC, has awarded
Penland a $ 3 5,000 grant over a three-year period to support the
expansion of the school’s development program. The grant will
provide salary support both for a full-time development director
and part-time support staff as well as funding for consultants,
training, computer services, and travel.
As the potential for state and federal funds decreases, the
cost of operating the school increases. These trends create an
imperative to increase the school’s endowment. In order to
accomplish this and also to continue to raise funds for specific
projects, Penland recognizes the need to explore every avenue
of fundraising including major donors, corporations and founda
tions, and planned giving. The Fletcher Foundation grant will
make it possible to move in these directions.
A LEGACY OF LOVE
Penland School has received a legacy of $75,000 from the estate
of Robert May which will be used to endow' the photography
program. Bob was a visiting artist and a photography instructor
throughout the eighties. He last taught at the .school in 1991,
two years before his death in 1993.
In addition to a career as an executive with IBM Corpora
tion in Lexington, KY, he taught photography at the University
of Kentucky. A photographer for forty years, his work w'as
shown in major exhibitions and published in American Photogra-
I phy and Time/Life books.
His love of Penland
brought him back to the
mountains frequently as a
visitor when friends were
teaching. Evon Streetman
recalled that even when he
was not teaching “Bob could
always be found in the wee
small hours of the morning
Bob May at Blue Haze j j i_ c
surrounded by a group of
students who might need technical assistance or might .simply
want to hear his photographic tales.”
Through this gift, his spirit will continue to be a part of the
photography program at Penland. The income will be used for
equipment and infrastructure in the photo studio as well as for
scholarships. Although others will have to tell Bob’s tales, with
this gift he chose to be part of a continuum in which the
nurturing he received at Penland becomes a vehicle for nurtur
ing others.
Donna Jean Dreyer
We are especially grateful to Bob’s friend and executor (and
frequent Penland instructor) Dennis “Bones” Carpenterfor his effort in
facilitating this bequest.
SEARCH FOR A DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
Donna Jean Dreyer, Penland’s Director of Development, will
retire from that position in October. A search is now underway
for a replacement to oversee the expansion of development.
Candidates should have at least three year’s experience in
development, excellent written and verbal communication skills,
computer literacy, administrative experience, and a commit
ment to craft education. Anyone interested should send a letter
of intent, resume, and reference list to Geraldine Plato, Penland
School, Penland, NC 28765
TTT