Generosity of Spirit: The Gifts of Penland Artists, an exhibition of contemporary ceramics, jewelry, and metalwork by 68 artists affiliated with Penland School of Crafts at Signature Gallery in Atlanta, opens Friday, February 10. Work in this show has been donated, and proceeds will support a new scholarship fund for clay and metals students at Penland School of Crafts. We asked some of the artists in the exhibition to share why they chose to give their work…
Becky Gray:
“I am very excited to have this opportunity to give back to Penland, a school which started me on this long good road of devotion to craft and clay. I was first introduced to ceramics at age five. My mother taught me to make a small human figure and I loved working with clay immediately. It was magical to me as a child. But as I grew older there were no opportunities to study ceramics, and that special private world became tangled with the concerns of growing up, and was gradually forgotten. But then…the summer after I graduated from college with a degree in art, Penland happened! I enrolled, by chance, in a ceramic sculpture session with Tom Suomalainen. Excellent, inspiring instruction, combined with the total immersion of studying at Penland re-connected me with the love of clay I felt as a child, but showed me that it could be an adult passion as well as a fulfilling career. Then and there, I embarked on the long journey of devotion to clay, and the messages one can share through ceramic art. I have always been thankful to Penland for giving me the early experiences which totally changed my life.”
Click here to visit Becky’s website.
Nancy Megan Corwin:
“I work alone in my studio for days at a time. At Penland, I am able to share my passion for making art through exciting and soul satisfying conversations, constant creative energy, and the inspiring artwork being produced every day. It is a wonderful place for students and professionals to mix, find common ground and refresh their artistic visions.”
Click here to visit Nancy Megan’s website.
Tom McCarthy:
“Why Penland? I wouldn’t be a jeweler today if I hadn’t taken a concentration class in 1983. Two years as a Core fellow (1984-1986) was my apprenticeship. Penland was my first teaching gig when I got to “pinch hit” for a concentration in 1987. I’ve enjoyed teaching there ever since. It is like coming full circle and always like coming home. ”
Click here to visit Tom’s website.
Gay Smith:
“Penland school continues as a major influence in my life as an artist. I’ve been privileged to be studio assistant, studio coordinator, resident artist, and teacher at Penland. I settled near Penland in 1994, and this fall, I am honored to become a Penland board member. Because of Penland, there’s a strong community of artists making excellent and innovative work. Penland offers educational opportunities that nourish artistic growth and excellence; exposure to the work and the artists who come for learning and teaching enriches my work and my life tremendously. Beauty, creativity, and generosity are nurtured here; what a great benefit.”
Click here to visit Gay’s website.
The exhibition runs from February 10 – March 15, with an opening reception Friday, February 10, 6-8pm, and Artist Gallery Talks on Saturday, February 11, 2-4pm with artists Nicholas Joerling and Angela Bubash, and Saturday, February 18, 2-4pm, with artists Julia Woodman and Gay Smith. For more information, click here.
Work in Generosity of Spirit is also available for viewing and purchase in an online gallery at thesignatureshop.com.