Penland Line
Robin Dreyer
Old pros Norm Schulman and Cynthia Bringle testing
out the recently donated Shitnpo wheels .
STUDIO NEWS
Our hardworking clay coordinator, Greg Gwilt (who has
recently left us to run a business in Florida) has been a persis
tent and effective advocate for studio needs this year. As a
result of his efforts, a number of thanks are in order: to
Shimpo-Niedec America for the donation of two beautiful
Shimpo throwing wheels; to Bob Polland and Lockerbie,
Inc., for two beautiful Lockerbie throwing wheels; to Lois
Benson who gave a computer to the clay coordinator’s office;
to Highwater Clay for their help with studio needs; to Joe
McArdle of World Sport Manufacturing for the floor mats in
the downstairs studio; and to Dick Blomberg who built
three excellent warecarts.
Greg also reconfigured the glaze
room so that warecarts can go in and
out easily. He built four large work
tables for the throwing room,
installed new tables downstairs as
well, and reworked the old coordi
nator .studio as a glaze room. As if
that weren’t enough, he also did
extensive remodeling to Ebner’s
Trailer where he’s been living for the
past year. Not bad for a pinch hitter.
Textiles coordinator Gregg
Johnson is pleased to report the donation, from Donner
Horic, of a sixty-inch, ten-shaft Swedish countermarch loom.
This is a very versatile loom, as big as any w'e had already.
Finally, our good friend Oscar Bailey has made a gener
ous transfer from his darkroom to ours including a cold-head
Omega enlarger with a variety of lenses and carriers, along
with safelights, timers, easels, contact printers, and other
equipment.
STAFF CHANGES
Lynn Wilkinson, our campus facilitator, is leaving Penland
(but not the neighborhood) this spring. She will be replaced by
Jane Zietlow, who brings fifteen-years experience in coun
seling. Over the past two years, Lynn has dealt with and often
prevented numerous crises and conflicts. Her work has also
helped to define this job and set a model for its execution.
Bruce Mathis and Danny Branton have left the mainte
nance crew. Bruce is working at the Avery County Prison and
Danny is working in the area. Joining the crew are carpenter
Chuck Nelson and all-around-.skillful-guy Danny Jarrett.
Janice Wilber is working as an assistant in the develop
ment department; Laura Loercher is a full-time salesperson
in the gallery. Leigh Holden moved on after a summer as
coordinator of books, paper, printmaking, and drawing. His job
was filled by Ann Marie Kennedy. C.J. Julian has left his
post as photo coordinator to take a job in Tennessee. Ann
Marie will also take over his responsibilities for a while.
Assistant Services Coordinator Melissa Deen has moved
to Boston to study. Shannon Hilemon has left our house
keeping staff (she has her own cleaning business). Shannon was
replaced by Rose Conley (one of the Conley Ridge Conleys).
Darryl Maleike has left the kitchen for work in the
Everglades. Hugh Patrick, our former kitchen steward, is
now living in Durham (leaving someone with a big kilt to Pill).
Core students Troy Hines, Caverly Morgan, and
Daniel Price have all finished their time at Penland and scat
Penland News
tered to the four winds. Troy is working in Asheville for a little
while; Caverly is spending time at a Zen monestary in
California; Daniel has just been accepted into the sculpture
program atTulane University. We will miss them all.
Joining the Core are metalsmith John Andrew;
Rebecca Carter, who has worked in photography and paint
ing, but plans to experiment; Eleanor Gould, who may try
every studio; and blacksmith Zach Noble. We welcome them.
RESIDENTS
Penland is happy to welcome two new Residents in 1999.
Susie Ganch is a jeweler who has been a
studio assistant in several classes and served
a lot of coffee in the coffee house last sum
mer. She has set up her studio (quickly) and
is preparing for a few weeks of guest teach
ing at University of WI/Madison. Eileen
Wallace was Penland’s books and paper
coordinator and publications designer for
three years. Her initial plan for her Penland
residency (which begins in June) is to con
tinue producing handmade books and boxes
and also to develop a line of letterpress-
printed decorative papers.
Leaving the residency are Cynthia Stone and Shawn
Ireland. Cynthia’s upcoming shows include the Baltimore
Wholesale Show, the Columbus Art Show, the Dogwood
Festival in Jacksonville, and the Center City Fest in Charlotte.
Shawn just returned from the ACC Baltimore and Atlanta
shows. He’s currently looking for a homeplace in the neighbor
hood. (The photo on page 2 had something to do with Shawn’s
going away party, although we’re not quite sure what.)
Junichiro Baba (see page 4) shared a two-person show
at Gallery W.D.O. (Charlotte) with Hoss Haley, and he’s
preparing for a show at the Earbille Opera House in upstate
New York and one in Tampa to coincide with the Glass Arts
Society conference. Sondra Dorn had a recent installation at
the Charlotte airport, a two person show at the University of
GA/Athens, and she was just accepted into the Southern
Highlands Handicraft Guild.
Hoss Haley had a recent show' at Gallery W.D.O (with
Jun Baba), he was a demonstrator at the National Ornamental
Metals Museum, and the school has been keeping him busy
designing and building railings for Heavens Above, the Pines,
and the Northlight steps (see page 6); he’s also been a consul
tant on the design of the new iron studio (see page 6 again).
One of Hoss’s sculptures purchased from the W.D.O. exhibi
tion was donated to the Mint Museum of Craft
+ Design in Charlotte, NC. Michael Kline
donated a piece to the Los Angeles County
Museum of Art, he had an exhibition at the St.
Louis Craft Alliance, and he’s been selling well
from his studio at the Barns.
Louise Radochonski has upcoming
exhibitions at the Williman King Art Center in
Abingdon, VA, the Blue Spiral Gallery in
Asheville, NC, Gallery 2 2g in Raleigh, NC, and
she will be teaching a class in figurative sculp
ture this fall at the Odyssey Clay Center in
Asheville.
RESIDENCY OPENINGS
There will be one opening in the Residency in 2000. The stu
dio is a large space, dow'nstairs in the Barns. The slab floor
makes it particularly suitable for wood, iron, and sculpture.
The deadline for applications is October 30, 1999. Call Dana
Moore for more information.
SHOWS, AWARD, ETC.
Many Penland artists participated in a show at the Folk Arts
Center of the Southern Highland Craft Guild this spring.
Penland shared the center’s exhibition space with the graduat
ing class from the Haywood Community College Professional
Crafts Program. The show' featured w'ork by Core students,
studio coordinators, and Penland Residents.
Thanks to Stacey Lane, who coordinated Penland’s par
ticipation; Kristi PfefTer and Hoss Haley who designed the
invitation; Catharine Muerdter and Bob Gibson who
organized on the Haywood end (Catharine is also a Penland
Trustee); and Andrew Glasgow and Laurey Faye Long of
the Folk Arts Center. And we can’t forget Pearl GrindstafT
who baked about 400 brownies for the opening. The Penland
portion of the show will travel to Atlanta where it will be seen
at the Barbara Archer Gallery from May 7 to June 18.
Cynthia Bringle will be honored by an upcoming show
at the Folk Art Center. Titled A Fiery Ir^uence, the show will
feature a seventy-five piece retrospective of Cynthia’s work
along with pieces from over tw'enty potters influenced or
taught by her; most of them have been Penland instructors.
The show opens May 16 and runs through June 27.
70TH BIRTHDAY REUNION
This year marks the 70th birthday of Penland School. We’re
saving the big festiv'ities for our diamond anniversary in five
years, but Penland Trustee Linda Darty thought 1999 would
be the appropriate moment to gather some old Penland hands
for a weekend sharing stories and photographs and helping
build the collection of Penland’s archive, which will be named
in honor of our late friend Jane Kessler.
Linda and a volunteer committee have put together a
weekend reunion which will take place on May and 16 at
Penland. There are a number of activities planned, including
craft workshops, tours, and an exhibition of historic material.
But the most important part of the w'eekend will be the collec
tion of material for the archive, and recording—on tape and
video—of oral history. We will report in the next issue.
TRUCK NEEDED
Penland is looking for a 1930 A A Ford truck. This model w'as
used to haul a tiny log cabin
to the 1933 Chicago Worlds
Fair—a showroom for prod
ucts made by the Penland
Weavers and Potters. We are
planning an exhibition space
for the cabin and otlier histor
ical material and would love
to display it on the same
model truck. Please contact
Development Director Erika
Sanger if you have a lead.
Lucy Morgan, Toni Ford, log cabin, AA Ford truck.