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We Make Penland on October 3

Giving Day photo banner in wood studio

Next Wednesday, October 3 is Penland’s 2nd annual Giving Day, a 24-hour push to generate support for Penland programs and share the impact of this place we love. The theme for the campaign is #WeMakePenland because this is a day to celebrate the creative power of making, the ideas and energy and inspiration that are born here, and—most of all—the strong and vibrant community that holds it all together.

Each one of you is a critical part of this community, and that’s why we’re asking YOU for your help. Please join us on October 3 to make our #WeMakePenland campaign a success! Here’s what you can do:

  • Share your story—Find a favorite Penland photo, write a short caption about what Penland means to you, and share it on social media with the hashtag #WeMakePenland. Every story adds power and momentum to the campaign!
  • Make a gift—Our goal is to reach 300 donations on October 3, and every gift counts! Whether you can give $1 or $10 or $50, your gift helps support the creative discovery and connection that Penland fosters. You’ll be able to contribute at penland.org/wemakepenland when the campaign goes live on October 3.
  • Get your friends involved—Help us spread the word far and wide! Text your family, send an email, or post on Facebook to encourage others to join our push on October 3.

We couldn’t have Penland without people like you, and we sure wouldn’t want to! Thank you for helping us make this day a win and for making the Penland experience richer for everyone.

If you’d rather not wait until October 3, you can make a gift now and have it count toward our Giving Day goal.

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Your Penland

Two photographs taken by Sarah Banko during her Penland workshop this summer

Well over 1,000 students and instructors passed through Penland’s studios this summer, and each one brought different talents, interests, ideas, and perspectives. That’s why we love seeing the variety of work our students make, browsing their photos, and hearing their stories—each one adds a new richness to the Penland experience.

Below, we share a few recent blog posts written by Penland students that illuminate a bit of that experience.

Sarah Banko

Studio assistant for Sally Van Gorder’s Narrative Photography workshop
“Two whole weeks of learning, teaching, relaxing in the mountains, taking photos, eating incredible food, meeting new people and so much more. It was an absolute blast and I cannot wait to return sometime in the near future, perhaps as a student next time to learn something completely new to me.”
See Sarah’s blog (and her gorgeous photographs!)

Brigitte Boucher

Student in Keith Wallace Smith’s workshop Figuring Out the Figure
“It’s hard to sum up my time there in a neat, simple way. Immersive, intense, transformative. Challenging yet fun. Inspiring and eye-opening. I learned a ton, pushed myself out of my comfort zone, met all kinds of wonderful people, lost track of time, and also got a clearer idea of what I might want to do next with my art.”
Read Brigitte’s thoughtful post and key takeaways

Elizabeth Busey

Student in Andy Rubin’s Monoprinting workshop
Our studio of twelve had artists from seniors in undergrad programs to people who were embracing art in their retirement. I spent almost all of my time in the studio, so I was able to experience the differing energies of the morning printers, and those who found their groove towards midnight. Everyone brought such generous energy and good will to the studio each day.
Read more about Elizabeth’s first time monoprinting

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The Printers Speak

This past summer we had an unusual number of print and letterpress workshops that focused on posters — a classic format for sending short messages about anything from social justice to next week’s show at the music hall. Although the posters were not documented in any systematic way, we are happy to present a gallery with a somewhat random selection the broadcasts from these workshops.

lpgroup
pronouns
ramen
trio
foreign
intimate
please
poem
drunk
spray
smart
women

 

Mere posters were not enough for Martin Mazzora (left) and his workshop students.

On July 4, between the parade and the fireworks, they set up an outdoor print studio, made a selection of their woodcuts available, in invited one and all to bring a T-shirt and have it turned into art.

 

 

Not to be outdone,  the crew in Brad Vetter’s letterpress workshop stayed up very late the last night of Seventh Session and made a poster for everyone on campus.

It expressed a sentiment we can heartily endorse.