NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE
PAID
PENLAND, NC
PERMIT # 1
P E N L A N D
LINE
PENLAND SCHOOL OF CRAFTS ■ PENLAND NORTH CAROLINA 28765 ■ SUMMER 1992
PENLAND OVERLOOK;
A ROOM WITH A VIEW AT THE ASHEVILLE ART MESEEM
The works of 48 present and former Penland Artists-in-
Residence are on display through July 6th in Penland
Overlook, the inaugural exhibition at the newly re
opened Asheville Art Museum. Organized by Curator
Frank Thom-son, the show features 120 objects, each of
which reflects its maker's singular style while collec
tively conveying the manifold strengths of Penland's
Resident program over three decades.
Highlighting the work of program participants from
1963 to the present day, the exhibition doesn't pretend
to track the evolution of an artist. Instead, relatively recent
selections from most all of the 48 point first to their own
obvious mastery of both method and materials. Then
what becomes increasingly more apparent is the breadth
and diversity of approaches the program has consis
tently encouraged.
When Potter Edward Brinkman's fortunate appearance
at Penland in 1963 coincided with Bill Brown's deepen
ing commitment to a residency program, he became the
first of a succession of craft artists who launched their
careers here and then remained in the area to establish
homes and studios. Among these artists who have work
in Penland Overlook in addition to Brinkman and his
wife, Judith — are Mark Peiser, William and Katherine
Bernstein, jane Peiser, Cynthia and Edwina Bringle,
Norm Schulman, Rob Levin, Richard Ritter and Jan
Williams, Stan Andersen, Bill Brown, Jr., and Kathryn
Gremley.
Former Penland Residents now living in other parts of
the country included in the show are Ron Burke, Skip
Johnson, Vernon Allen, Ron Propst, Tom Suomalainen
and Adela Akers from the sixties; Ed Zucca, Rostislav
Eismont, Evon Streetman and Peter Adams of the
seventies; Stephen Dee Edwards, Debra Frasier, Steve
Gamza, James Lawton, Marsha Owen, Janet Taylor,
Cary Jordan, Mark Jordan, Harris J. Nathan, Kathleen
Campbell, John Clark, Joann Schnabel, Ken Carder,
George Bucquet and Rick Eckerd here in the eighties;
Alicia Keshishian, Yoko Higuchi, Pamela Rockwell and
Randy Shull, who completed residencies in the nineties.
From the current complement of Penland Residents is
the work of Bart Kasten, Julie Leonard and Sally Rogers.
Penland Overlook opened in April and will travel to
at least^ four other locations in North Carolina and
Virginia during the next two years. But through July
6th, viewers can visit the stunning (and overflowing)
top floor gallery of the museum in its sumptuous new
space in the city's new Pack Place Arts, Education and
Science Center.
Museum Director Ed Ritts wrote in the show's catalog
that Penland is "the kind of place that many of us went
to art school to find and did not." For the time being, at
least, a part of the spirit of exploration and innovation
that characterizes the Penland Residents Program can
be found in these 120 objects on display. The artists
who produced them left something so much more
profound behind for their presence at Penland, and the
place is richer for it.
-Rebecca Caldwell 1^
FIBER FOREM IN PRINT
During the past two years, we have shared with you in
the Penland Line our concerns about the future of
fibers and surface design at Penland. In 1988, we had
148 students in fibers and surface design classes during
the summer and 51 during the fall and spring Concen
tration classes. By 1990, that dropped to 114 in the
summer and none during Concentration. Last summer
the registration in summer increased to 155, but there
were only 5 students in one class last fall and three other
Concentration classes were canceled.
For the 1992-93 Concentrations, no classes are sched
uled in these studios. We are now trying to decide
whether or not to include them in the two-year pro
gram when it is initiated next year. As part of this
process, we invited several Penland instructors to com
ment on what is happening in fibers and surface design
from the standpoint of their experience at other insti
tutions and as working professionals. All are studio
artists and have considerable teaching experience. Sev
eral are currently associated with a university or col-.
lege. On pages 2 through 5, we share their comments as
well as those of Hunter Kariher and Kathryn Gremley,
who coordinates these programs for Penland. We invite
you to read what they have to say and then tell us what
you think. If you are a weaver or work in any fibers or
surface design area, but have not come to Penland in
recent years, could you please tell us why? You can fill
out the questionnaire on page 5 or just send us a letter
or post card with your thoughts. There's still space
, available in several classes this summer. See page 4.®]