Penland Line
A Celebration of Clay S Class
While every class held all year at Penland can well be
considered a celebration of craft, the Glass Gathering and
Clay Overview classes were specifically planned to bring
together numerous craft artists as part of Penland’s obser
vance of the Year of American Craft.
Mark Peiser, Richard Ritter, and Paul Stankard were
listed as instructors for seventh session glass, but they might
well have been called collaborators instead. The class,
whose members were selected based on their level of
experience, became something of a happening as the three
glass artists shared ideas and experimented together. Glass
Gathering was a good name for the class because all the
glassblowers and lampworkers within easy distance kept
dropping by, and an evening picnic mid-week was a
veritable glass reunion.
The Clay Overview was a time for maximum exposure to
clay artists and their technical and aesthetic approaches.
Students included collectors, gallery owners, and clay
enthusiasts as well as potters interested in the demonstra
tions by Paulus Berensohn, Wayne Ferguson, Mark
Hewitt, Vernon Owens, Ken Sedberry, Tom
Suomalainen, and Patty Warashina. There were also
slides and discussions with Jane Kessler and visits to the
studios of Stan Andersen, Cynthia Bringle, Jane
Peiser, Douglass Rankin & Will Ruggles, Norm
Schulman, and Julie & Tyrone Larson. The students
even had time for hands-on work and a wood firing.
Tom Suomalainen, Patty Warashina
Richard Ritter, Mark Peiser, Paul Stankard
East Carolina Honors N.C.
Craft Heritage
The Year of American Craft is ending on a high note for
Penland. The touring show “In Celebration of Craft: A
North Carolina Heritage” served as the linchpin for a
larger celebration of craft at Eastern Carolina University
(ECU) in Greenville. The show, which features Penland,
Southern Highlands Handicraft Guild, John C. Campbell
Folk School, Sawtooth Center for Visual Art, Piedmont
Craftsmen, Inc., and the Production Crafts Program of
Haywood Community College has been touring the state
throughout the year and is now at ECU’s Wellington B.
Gray Gallery.
Under the enthusiastic guidance of Linda Darty, who is
on the faculty of the ECU School of Art, a second
concurrent show. The North Carolina Crafts Invitational
Exhibit, has brought together the work of eighty North
Carolina artists from all parts of the state, many of whom
have strong ties to Penland. This exhibit is the tangible
evidence of the impact the six craft institutions, along with
the North Carolina University art departments, have had
on the development and nurturing of craft artists in the
state. Both exhibits continue through December 23.
On November 18 and 19, the ECU School of Art and
Penland presented “Tradition & Transformation: A Dia
logue on North Carolina Craft.” Preceding the opening
reception for the exhibit, Linda gave a slide lecture on
“Penland School and North Carolina Crafts,” which
highlighted the school’s history and, in particular, the
contributions of Lucy Morgan, Penland’s founder.
Events on Friday included slide presentations by and
conversations with Ken Botnick (book arts), John Clark
(wood), Rob Levin (glass), Nick Joerling (clay), Ann
Matlock (fibers), and Sydney Scherr (metals); a mini
workshop with Paulus Berensohn; panel discussions; and
a session on “Keeping the Balance: Making Yoiir Living and
Making Yonr Art. ” The day ended with a barbecue dinner
for the School of Art faculty, visiting artists, and guests.
Penland Trustee Mignon Dunn worked with Linda on
the development of the ECU/Penland Dialogue, which
was supported by Wachovia Bank of North Carolina and
individuals and galleries throughout the state.
Neighborhood News
Rick Smith was recently awarded Third Prize Best of
Show in the Philadelphia Craft Show. He will be teaching
blacksmithing at the winter session of the Rhode Island
School of Design. Currently, he is participating in an
invitational show at the National Ornamental Metals
Museum.
In celebration of the Year of American Craft, the Hodges
Taylor Gallery mounted an exhibit of work by all
of Penland’s Residents from September 7 through
October 10. Deby Groover just finished teaching the fall
Concentration. She had work in the New Art Forms
Exhibition in Chicago and the 29th Ceramic National at
the Everson Museum in Syracuse.
Wish List
Louanne DeBella, who has been working on the Penland
Library all fall, is looking for new book donations. If you
have books to donate, any questions, or would like a book
list, call her at 765-1792.
Congratulations to Pearl Grindstaff who just completed
her 58th year working Penland’s kitchen producing pecan
pies and that wonderful bread!
The touring retrospective show of work by Penland
Residents over the past thirty years, which was mounted
by the Asheville Art Museum last year, has been at
St. John’s Museum of Art in Wilmington this fall. As part of
a series of ancillary events planned to highlight Penland
and North Carolina crafts: Ken Botnick gave a slide lecture
in the gallery on October 14; Penland Trustee Jane Kessler
led a walk-through tour in September; and Edwina
Bringle gave a lecture on her work in November. Edwina
also offered a workshop for teachers.
Although the Penland Overlook show will be in storage at
the Asheville Art Museum this spring, it has one more stop
on the tour at the Center for the Arts in Vero Beach, Florida,
next July.