Meet Sarah Vaughn, Penland Resident Artist.
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Hello! I am Sarah Vaughn. I am in my final year as a Penland resident. It is wild how time warps here. I am just getting settled in, and it is almost time to pack it all up. I primarily utilize glass in my work and am particularly fond of casting. During my residency, I have incorporated slip casting and metal casting into my practice…but glass will forever hold my heart. My time at Penland has been focused on setting up my studio. It is liberating to know that wherever I land after my residency ends, I can continue making my work.
My work tends toward narrative and nostalgia. This year, I am focused on creating two bodies of work:
The first is an ongoing project for the remainder of my time will be working on a large-scale installation of glass stones. This project will have been ten years in the making when it is installed at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum in February 2025. The installation will comprise over 5000 glass boulders, stones, and pebbles.
Second, in between making boxes of glass rocks, I am also continuing my figurative-based sculpture work. This work draws on recollections of moments that play over and over in my head, often warping into distorted versions of the events.
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Please enjoy these images of Sarah’s moving figurative work.
Gold rings
Carat ring
Recall blue, white and beige, brooch 
Necklace, silver, tourmaline, morganite 
Studio workbench