HI
Penland Line
Summer Preview
Traditionally, classes at Fcnland arc open to students of all
levels and beginners are welcome. Class size is small so that
instructors are able to work with varying levels and the
more advanced students often help the novices. However,
there are frequent requests for advanced or master classes.
The summer 1994 program has several such classes. Garry
Knox Bennett and Wendell Castle will be collaborating
in an experimental master class in the wood studio which
will be by invitation only. These two master craftsmen will
work together on a piece to be included in the Benefit
Auction. Participants will observe the process and then do
their own work. Woodworkers who are interested in this
class may write Penland and include a resume. Furniture
Techniques with Tage Frid, Skip Johnson, and Doug
Sigler is also an advanced class.
In the Surface Design studio, Jason Pollen and Joy
Boutrup, a teacher from Denmark, will be the instructors
for a professional level class focusing on dye and resist
chemistry. Applicants must send a resume which will
indicate that they are working professionally.
Advanced glassblowing with Dante Marioni and Rich
ard Marquis will emphasize Italian blowing styles and
teamwork. Brent Kington will work with advanced
blacksmiths in the forge.
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
Each summer, Penland invites several artists from other
parts of the world to teach. In addition to Joy Boutrup,
Scandinavian artist Willy Anderson will work with
glassblowers to help them personalize their work. Willy
who is Norwegian says “Scandinavian simplicity is based
upon a common thought: maximum result with a mini
mum of effort.”
Hubert Stern and Heike Polster are lamp working artists
from Germany. Both are graduates of the Fachschulefiir Glas
in Zweisel. Their class is called Experimental Lampworking,
Lustering and Enameling Techniques.
A master blacksmith in Switzerland, Christoph Friedrich
operates an ancient water-powered trip-hammer forge and
modern fabrication shop. He will be teaching Forging
Techniques/Forged Jewelry.
In the Specials category (classes which do not fit the tradi
tional studio mold) Robert Harrison will teach a class in
Site-Specific Architectural Ceramics. Lettercarving with Chris
topher Stinehour will be housed in the drawing studio but
is basically a carving class.
These are just a few of the highlights from our best-selling
Summer Catalog, coming soon to a mailbox near you!
ALIVE £ WELL
PENLAND FIBERS PROGRAM
Great! That is how 1 feel about the fall fiber Concentration
program at Penland. Seeing colorful handspun yarns emerge
from the dyepot, exquisite yardage roll off the beams, and
bundles of silk unfold into beautiful shibori scarves was
exciting. But it was more exciting to hear the noise, see the
traffic, and get caught up in the energy of a capacity session
in weaving: the first one Penland has seen in a long time.
It was a melting pot of students—young and old, advanced
as well as beginners, men and women, from all over the
county—joining under the direction of Ann Matlock to
learn about textiles. This group was a true reflection of the
diversity of those interested in fiber.
The time spent here by students was productive (as was
evident at a spontaneous evening “fashion show” thrown
for the entire school in the weaving studio). Students were
pleased with their work, but I was even more pleased by
the strength in enrollment. Penland’s fiber program is
alive! Our thanks go to Kathryn Gremley (fibers coor
dinator for the past seven years), who was committed to
keeping the program going, to the many who have
responded to our concerns about the fiber program, and to
the commitment from director Ken Botnick to build on
the long tradition at Penland. And there are even more
exciting things to come.
Spring Concentration in the Loom House promises to be
equally exciting as we prepare for Carmen Grier’s class
Composing with Cloth. A master of surface design tech
niques, Carmen will build imagery using applique and
stitchery on silkscreened forms using resist and discharge
dyed cloth. Visiting artist Lee Malerich will work with
students to push embroidery beyond the process.
And that is just spring Concentration. The summer offers
exciting variety for beginners thru master craftspersons in
a wide variety of techniques including ikat, tapestry,
clothing design, shibori-dyed and painted warps, beadwork,
and found materials. Watch for details in the catalog
coming about the end of December.
-Geraldine Plato
Neighborhood News
Dana has curated exhibitions and directed summer high
school programs for the University of Florida.
Donna Jean Drcycr has become the Director of Develop
ment taking over from Rebecca Caldwell who left her
position last june to work as a freelance writer specializing
in the craft field. Rebecca coordinated all of the art for the
Benefit Auction last summer.
Red Ozier Press Retrospective
A retrospective exhibit and the publication of a book
honored the work of Penland’s director Ken Botnick and
Steve Miller, who is now Coordinator of the Book Arts
Program at the University of Alabama/Tuscaloosa. Ken
and Steve were co-proprietors of the Press in New York
from 1979 until 1987, publishing fine, letterpress printed
and hand-bound limited editions of poetry and short
fiction. The Red Ozier Press: A Literary Fine Press, by
Michael Reich, was published October 19 to coincide with
the opening of an exhibit of books at the Humanities
Gallery in New York, which continued until November 19.
Exhibits
Paige Davis, Shane Fero, Randy Shull, Billie Ruth
Suddeth, Bob Trotman, and Susan Wilchins are all
represented in Craft of the Carolinas, a show of work by
North and South Carolina artists which was curated by
John Perreault. The show, which is in celebration of the
Year of American Craft, opened in Charleston at the Cibbes
Museum of Art on November 19. The opening reception
was planned as part of the national Assembly of State Arts
Agencies. The show will travel in the spring to other
locations in the Carolinas.
Shane will also have work in the Christmas Invitational
at Asheville Art Museum and has a solo exhibit at the
Ariodante Gallery in New Orleans. AAark Reiser and Joe
Nielander have each had exhibits of their work at the Marx
Gallery in Chicago.
Continued