There’s a nice feature on Penland, written by Glen R. Brown, in the new issue of Ornament Magazine. It begins like this:
“The final mile of the drive to Penland School of Crafts feels appropriately transitional. The curving ascent through a forest of North Carolina pines and hardwoods serves symbolically as a buffer between the outside world and the eclectic mix of cabin-like dwellings, rustic lodge-style buildings and modern glass-fronted constructions that compose the campus. Nestled picturesquely among the trees at the head of a gently sloping meadow, the school recalls memories of summer camp, but, since its founding in 1928, it has been highly effective in the role of a working retreat—a place, something like Thoreau’s Walden, that is removed just far enough from the complications and diversions of everyday life to allow for focus on priorities. Although those who come to study at Penland generally spend only two weeks (far less than Thoreau’s two-year sojourn in the woods), what they learn during that intense period of total immersion can form the basis for a lifetime of exploration.”
