Category: Workshops

Posted on by

Spring Short Session Metals

Metals – Spring Short Session
April 27 – May 2, 2025 (4 studio days)
Sunyoung Cheong
Enameling on Die-Formed Metal

In this workshop students will learn to apply enamel to 3-D copper forms. These forms will be created using the hydraulic press and premade, 3-D-printed dies of various designs. Then students will build layers of vitreous enamel on those forms using sifting and wet-packing techniques. Although CAD design and 3-D printing will not be taught in this workshop, Sunyoung will introduce the basic concepts of the processes, and students will gain an understanding of the possibilities for using these technologies to create dimensional, enameled metal forms. All levels. Upper metals studio.

Assistant professor at University of Kansas; other teaching: Arrowmont (TN), East Carolina University (NC); residencies: Pocosin (NC), Arrowmont (TN); exhibitions: The Sandra J. Blain Galleries (TN), Korea Design & Craft Foundation (Seoul), Wayne Art Center (PA), Tyler School of Art (PA), Baltimore Jewelry Center (MD), Awon Gallery (Seoul). 

sunyoungcheong.com | @sunyoung.cheong

Note: This workshop takes place in a studio with steps that compromise accessibility. It is made partially accessible by a stair lift. 

Scholarship application deadline is August 15.
Regular enrollment begins October 2.

Sunyoung Cheong, My Universe/Heart+Bee Series, enamel, copper, sterling silver, stainless steel, dimensions vary
Sunyoung Cheong, My Universe/Heart+Bee Series, enamel, copper, sterling silver, stainless steel, dimensions vary
Posted on by

Spring Short Session Iron

Iron – Spring Short Session
April 27 – May 2, 2025 (4 studio days)
Hoss Haley
The Everyday Shelf

This workshop will focus on designing and fabricating metal shelves to hold the items one carries with them on a daily basis: phone, keys, glasses, etc. We will begin with demonstrations and explanations of a range of cold-connection techniques: tabs, screws, and rivets. Students will then work through the design process using paper and cardboard. The last two days will be devoted to cold-forming through cutting, bending, and shaping the sheet metal followed by final assembly and surface treatments. All levels. 

Studio artist; teaching: Haystack (ME), Penland; major public art commissions in Asheville (NC), Charlotte (NC), Richmond (VA), Atlanta, Western Carolina University (NC), North Carolina State University, Tennessee Tech University; collections: Asheville Art Museum (NC), North Carolina Museum of Art, Mint Museum (NC), Bechtler Museum of Art (NC), Arkansas Museum of Fine Art, John Michael Kohler Art Center (WI).

hosshaley.com | @hosshaley

Scholarship application deadline is August 15.
Regular enrollment begins October 2.

Hoss Haley, Everyday Shelf, steel, paint
Hoss Haley, Everyday Shelf, steel, paint
Photo by Myles Pettengill
Posted on by

Spring Short Session Glass

Glass – Spring Short Session
April 27 – May 2, 2025 (4 studio days)
SaraBeth Post Eskuche
Cut, Sift, Fire: Patterns and Texture in Warm Glass

This workshop will cover the fundamentals of fused glass. The workshop will begin with an introduction to the essential tools and terms used in creating flat panels in the kiln. With a focus on experimentation and sample-making, we will compose a library of patterns by cutting and stacking glass shapes, arranging dots and stripes, and sifting powder through hand-cut stencils. Our last demonstration will be an introduction to coldworking as we shape our glass panels. At the end of the session, students will be comfortable with glass cutting, kiln preparation, and firing schedules. Introductory workshop; all skill levels welcome.  

Studio artist, owner of Ultra Lit, communications coordinator with Crafting the Future; teaching: FOCI Minnesota Center for Glass Art (MN), Peters Valley (NJ), The Studio at Corning (NY), Pilchuck (WA), Pittsburgh Glass Center (PA); exhibitions: Kentucky Museum of Art (KY), WCU Bardo Fine Arts Museum (NC), The Weeks Gallery (NY), Cressman Center for Visual Arts (KY), Bunker Projects (PA); representation: Penland Gallery (NC), Contemporary Craft (PA), Gallery 2052 (IL), Urban Glass (NY), Chautauqua (NY).

sarabethpost.net | @ultralit.sb

Scholarship application deadline is August 15.
Regular enrollment begins October 2.

SaraBeth Post Eskuche, Carved Tye-Dye Dish, fused and carved glass, 4 x 4 inches
SaraBeth Post Eskuche, Carved Tye-Dye Dish, fused and carved glass, 4 x 4 inches
Posted on by

Spring Short Session Drawing and Painting

Painting/Printmaking – Spring Short Session
April 27 – May 2, 2025 (4 studio days)
Jeffrey Hirst
Screenprinting and Encaustic

This workshop will cover the process of screenprinting with pigment sticks, tinted gesso, and ink onto and under encaustic surfaces. We will cover basic encaustic processes: mixing and applying paint, fusing, scraping, and working with transparent and opaque color. A simplified approach to screenprinting will make the process easy to grasp as we unite printed elements with painted surfaces. Students will create images incorporating multiple passes from fixed screenprinting stations along with freeform printing approaches. Together we will explore how painting and printmaking can overlap and influence one another. All levels. Drawing and painting studio.

Studio artist and co-founder of Catalyst Art Lab; teacher of encaustic and printmaking workshops in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Ireland; fellowship and five residencies at Ballinglen Arts Foundation (Ireland); exhibitions: Minneapolis Institute of Art, McLean Projects for the Arts (VA), MicKinney Contemporary (Dallas), Bienal Duoro (Portugal); representation: Addington Gallery (Chicago), Brandt-Roberts Galleries (OH); work in numerous private collections. 

jeffreyhirst.com | @jeffreyhirst

Scholarship application deadline is August 15.
Regular enrollment begins October 2.

Jeffrey Hirst, Trace, encaustic with screenprinting on shaped panel, 41 x 31 inches
Jeffrey Hirst, Trace, encaustic with screenprinting on shaped panel, 41 x 31 inches
Posted on by

Spring Short Session Clay

Clay – Spring Short Session
April 27 – May 2, 2025 (4 studio days)
Susan Feagin
Floof! Image Transfers on Clay Surfaces

Try your hand at making low-tech underglaze transfers to use on clay surfaces. Students will make silkscreens and draw directly onto newsprint with underglazes to create unique printed and layered imagery on tiles or clay forms (depending on time and individual skill level). We’ll cover some slab building basics using bisque molds and templates. Wheel throwers are welcome, too. This workshop is perfect for people who like to doodle, draw, print, cut, and paste. Bisque-fire only. All levels. Lower clay studio.

Studio artist and Penland clay studio coordinator; teaching: Campbell Folk School (NC), Arrowmont (TN), Double Island Studio (NC), Warren Wilson College (NC); presenter at NCECA Makers Space 2024; exhibitions: Spruce Pine Potters Market (NC); Toe River Arts Gallery (NC); Red Lodge Clay Center (MT), Potters of Madison County (NC). 

susanfeaginceramics.com | @susanfeagin

 Scholarship application deadline is August 15.
Regular enrollment begins October 2.

Susan Feagin, Collage Basket, stoneware with screenprinted underglazes and slips; soda-fired to cone 8, 13 x 8 x 11 inches
Susan Feagin, Collage Basket, stoneware with screenprinted underglazes and slips; soda-fired to cone 8, 13 x 8 x 11 inches
Posted on by

Spring Short Session Books

Books – Spring Short Session
April 27 – May 2, 2025 (4 studio days)
Reina Takahashi
Paper Potluck

Students in this workshop will learn basic paper sculpture techniques with an emphasis on creating texture and dimension. Through demonstrations and hands-on instruction, we will cover methods for hand-cutting, curving, creasing, gluing, and creating dimensional forms. Students will have time to experiment and to create a paper food item of their own. By the end of the workshop, we will have created a paper potluck. Students should be comfortable working with an X-Acto knife as all cutting will be done by hand. All levels. 

Paper artist primarily working with commercial illustration and design clients; teaching: Kala Art Institute (CA), Stanford University (CA); Communication Arts Illustration Shortlist, Bronze Telly Award; Penland Winter Residency participant; exhibitions: Heron Arts (San Francisco), Chicago Museum of Design, Society of Illustrators (New York); client list includes The New York Times, Wired, Adobe, Google, and Target.

reinasaur.com | @reinasaur

Scholarship application deadline is August 15.
Regular enrollment begins October 2.

Reina Takahashi, Cakes (after Wayne Thiebaud), paper, wood, overall dimension 4 x 16 x 16 inches; cake slices approximately 4 x 6 x 2 inches
Reina Takahashi, Cakes (after Wayne Thiebaud), paper, wood, overall dimension 4 x 16 x 16 inches; cake slices approximately 4 x 6 x 2 inches
Posted on by

Wood Spring Concentration

Wood – Spring Concentration
March 2 – April 25, 2025 (8 Weeks)
Mark Melonas
Concrete: It’s Hard

This workshop is an exploration of the possibilities, challenges, and beauty of concrete. By using multiple moldmaking methods, mix recipes, and casting techniques, students will gain an understanding of this seductive material. We will create samples of many mix designs to investigate color, texture, and particle placement. Students will explore modern artisan approaches and learn to hybridize them to create their own language with concrete. Working backwards and forwards and back again, we will use design skills and problem solving to design objects and the molds used to make them. Possible outcomes include furniture, vessels, and hollow or solid sculptural forms. All levels. 

Designer, artisan, and owner of LUKE WORKS Studio (Baltimore) creating concrete, metal, and wood furniture, sinks, and objects for local and national clients; visiting artist: Virginia Commonwealth University, IYRS School of Technology & Trades (RI), Maryland Institute College of Art; teaching: Baltimore School for the Arts, Peters Valley (NJ), Workshop of Our Own (Baltimore), Arrowmont (TN), Penland.

markmelonas.net |  lukeworks.com | @lukeworks

Scholarship application deadline is August 15.
Regular enrollment begins October 2.

Mark Melonas, Loveseat, concrete, weathering steel, black locust, upholstery, 21 x 56 x 21 inches
Mark Melonas, Loveseat, concrete, weathering steel, black locust, upholstery, 21 x 56 x 21 inches
Mark Melonas, Nana Lamp, concrete, pigment, 6 x 7 x 7 inches
Mark Melonas, Nana Lamp, concrete, pigment, 6 x 7 x 7 inches
Posted on by

Textiles Spring Concentration

Textiles – Spring Concentration
March 2 – April 25, 2025 (8 Weeks)
Zak Foster
Narrative Quilt-Making

This workshop will focus on the storytelling qualities of quilts. Using a series of narrative prompts designed to draw out personal stories, beginning to advanced students will be guided through the process of making experimental quilts. Instruction will be geared toward hand-sewing techniques such as stitches, appliqué, embroidery, quilting, and finishing (sewing machines will also be available). Other topics will include color relationships, elements of composition, and visual storytelling concepts. We will work with repurposed cloth; thrift shop trips are on the itinerary. A willingness to mess up will be a definite plus. All levels. Upper textiles studio.

Studio artist who draws on southern textile traditions using repurposed fabrics with an approach to design that is intuitive and improvisational; teaching: Tatter Blue Library (NYC), Sawtooth Center (NC), Madeline Island School of the Arts (WI); work featured in New York Times, Vogue, People, Paper, The Guardian, Wall Street Journal, High Snobiety, and other publications. 

zakfoster.com | @zakfoster.quilts

Note: Here is a set of videos Zak made demonstrating seven basic hand-sewing techniques. Check them out if you have time. If you need a review during the workshop, he will be happy to go over them again.

Note: This workshop takes place in a third-floor walk-up studio that is made partially accessible with a stair lift. 

Scholarship application deadline is August 15.
Regular enrollment begins October 2.

Zak Foster, YES MORE PLEASE, repurposed textiles, 45 x 45 inches
Zak Foster, YES MORE PLEASE, repurposed textiles, 45 x 45 inches
Posted on by

Print & Letterpress Spring Concentration

Printmaking Spring Concentration
March 3 – April 26, 2024
Jamaal Barber
Relief Printing

Dive into the beautiful world of relief printmaking! Learn to design, carve, and print expressive woodcuts and linocuts. Starting with single-color images, we’ll cover the basics of mark-making, tool safety, using the press, and editioning. Then we can build more complex images using multiple blocks, multiple colors, color gradients, laser cutting, and other advanced techniques. As we progress, we’ll discuss traditional and contemporary printmaking from Kathe Kollowitz and Picasso to Elizabeth Catlett and Steve Prince. Students can expect to finish two or three editioned prints, with the potential for many more print variations with experimentation and collaboration. All levels. Printmaking studio.

Studio artist, podcaster (Studio Noize); participant in The Exhibit on MTV and Smithsonian Channel; teaching: Atlanta Printmakers Studio, visiting lecturer at Georgia State University; exhibitions: Samford University (AL), Public Works (SC), Mint Gallery (GA), representation: ZuCot Gallery (GA). 

jbarberstudio.com | @jbarberstudio

Jamaal Barber, Something Wonderful, linocut, collage, 18 x 12 inches
Jamaal Barber, Something Wonderful, linocut, collage, 18 x 12 inches
Posted on by

Photography Spring Concentration

Photo Spring Concentration
March 6 – April 29, 2022
Mercedes Jelinek
Processing Process

This workshop will take students on a journey through analog, digital, and hybrid photographic processes. We’ll cover large-format camera use, film development, and traditional darkroom printing. We’ll also scan film, shoot digitally, and use these files to make archival inkjet prints. From there, we’ll learn to further manipulate our photographs through collage and alternative photographic processes. This workshop will also cover basic and advanced shooting techniques, composition, framing, digital workflow, archiving, digital editing (with Lightroom or Photoshop), and more. All levels. 

Studio artist; teaching: East Carolina University Italy Intensives Program, Appalachian State University (NC), Penland; former Penland resident artist; exhibitions: Odgen Museum (New Orleans), SoHo Photo (NYC), Satellite Art Show at Art Basel Miami, Pingyao International Photo Festival (China); publications acquired by Museum of Modern Art (NYC), Guggenheim Museum (NYC), Metropolitan Museum (NYC), Whitney Museum (NYC), Library of Congress (DC), Aperture Foundation (NYC), Getty Institute (Los Angeles). 

 mercedesjelinek.com | @mercedes_jelinek

Mercedes Jelinek, Insomnia, archival pigment print, 22 x 17 inches
Mercedes Jelinek, Insomnia, archival pigment print, 22 x 17 inches
Posted on by

Papermaking Spring Concentration

Papermaking – Spring Concentration
March 2 – April 25, 2025 (8 Weeks)
Jo Stealey
Exploring Paper as Sculpture

Create small-scale objects or large-scale installations using handmade paper. The workshop will begin with fiber processing for paper pulp, including methods for beating fibers to create specific qualities in the paper: opaque/translucent, low or high shrinkage, thick/thin, delicate/strong, etc. Then we will cover sheet forming, pigmenting pulp, pulp painting, collage, stencils, casting into found molds and cloth molds, joining cast elements, armatures, draping, and other approaches to developing 3-D forms. After three weeks of experimentation, students will use their preferred techniques to create a new body of work. The focus will be on artistic concepts and personal vision for the materials. All levels. 

Studio artist; professor emerita of fibers at University of Missouri-Columbia; solo exhibitions: Windgate Gallery (AR), Cedarhurst Museum (IL), Havana Biennial (Cuba); collections: National Portrait Gallery (DC), University of Arkansas Fort Smith, Lamar Museum (FL), Sioux City Art Center (IA), Spring Art Museum (MO); co-curator and catalog author for the traveling exhibition Rooted, Revived, Reinvented: Basketry in America. 

jostealey.com | @jostealey.art

Scholarship application deadline is August 15.
Regular enrollment begins October 2.

Jo Stealey, Dusters, overbeaten abaca and flax, river willow, waxed linen, 36 x 20 x 6 inches
Jo Stealey, Dusters, overbeaten abaca and flax, river willow, waxed linen, 36 x 20 x 6 inches
Posted on by

Metals Spring Concentration

Metals – Spring Concentration
March 2 – April 25, 2025 (8 Weeks)
Adam Whitney
Persuading Metal

Explore the art of metalworking in this immersive workshop. Students will learn fundamental hammering techniques and then advance to creating intricate designs through raising, shaping, chasing, and repoussé. Engaging presentations will delve into holloware’s rich history. Individual guided projects will culminate in personalized pieces that showcase proficiency in metal manipulation. Specific techniques will include angle raising, Dutch raising, crimping, sinking, snarling, soldering, fabrication, and tool making. We will work with a variety of nonferrous metals and, as individual budgets permit, silver. Instruction will include how to protect your body, but students should expect to do a lot of hammering. This workshop will combine creativity with technique, providing students with a comprehensive skillset in metalcraft and holloware artistry. All levels. Lower metals studio.

Studio artist; teaching: Penland, School of Arts & Crafts Santo Domingo (Colombia), Appalachian Center for Crafts (TN), Pocosin Arts NC), Metalwerx (NC); special projects realized for Harvard Art Museum (MA) and Getty Museum (CA); representation Penland Gallery.

aw-metalsmith.com | @awmetalsmith

Scholarship application deadline is August 15.
Regular enrollment begins October 2.

Adam Whitney, EVA Glove 001, fine silver, 24k gold gilding, 11-1/4 x 7 x 8-1/2 inches
Adam Whitney, EVA Glove 001, fine silver, 24k gold gilding, 11-1/4 x 7 x 8-1/2 inches
Posted on by

Iron Spring Concentration

Iron – Spring Concentration
March 2 – April 25, 2025 (8 Weeks)
Erica Moody
Balancing the Spoon: Metal Craft and Studio Practice

With utensil making as the framework, students will learn the foundations of mid-sized metalsmithing and will exploring how our craft can foster play and awareness of our surroundings. Through demonstrations and experimentation (with optional prompts), students will design and realize their own eating and/or serving utensils, which may be entirely practical or purely sculptural. We will work with raw materials and repurposed utensils, consider individual as well as batch production, collaborate, and discuss balancing life and a craft business. Technical instruction will include cold and hot forming (hand hammering only), cold and hot connections, finishing, and combining different materials. The workshop aims to use this nice, long time period to both upset and balance our practices as we inspire and support each other. All levels. 

Studio artist crafting serving utensils and custom hardware; teaching: Peters Valley (NJ), Haystack (ME), Center for Metal Arts (PA), Pocosin (NC), Center for Furniture Craftsmanship (ME), Massachusetts College of Art & Design, Harvard Graduate School of Design (MA); 2023 Maine Arts Fellowship; short-term residencies: Penland, Haystack. 

ericamoody.com | @ericaemoody

Scholarship application deadline is August 15
Regular enrollment begins October 2.

 

Erica Moody, Pressed Brass Moon and Ring Utensils, brass, charred maple, 12 inches long
Erica Moody, Pressed Brass Moon and Ring Utensils, brass, charred maple, 12 inches long
Posted on by

Glass Spring Concentration

Glass – Spring Concentration
March 2 – April 25, 2025 (8 Weeks)

Aya Oki
Passionate Harmony

Embark on a transformative glassblowing journey at Penland with a focus that goes beyond technique to explore the connection between artist and material. The workshop will start by looking at the properties and behaviors of glass. Basic techniques will be introduced through guided exercises. Then we will move on to blowing, shaping, layering, moldblowing, coldworking, and other techniques. Throughout the session students will learn from their mistakes and engage in a dynamic dialogue with glass, fostering a sense of harmony that will shape their artistic consciousness. We will work to unlock new facets of creativity and personal expression. All levels. 

Studio artist; teaching: St. Paul’s School (NH), California State University San Bernardino, Pilchuck (WA), Tulsa Glassblowing School (OK), Pittsburgh Glass Center (PA), UrbanGlass (NY), Corning Museum of Glass (NY), Penland; residencies: Creative Glass Center of America (NJ), Murano Residency (Italy), Duncan McClellan Gallery (FL), Residence Together (Sweden), Martha’s Vineyard Glassworks (MA); collections: Museum of American Glass (NJ), Tacoma Museum of Glass (WA), Corning Museum of Glass (NY), Imagine Museum (FL). 

aya-oki.com | @ayaokidoki 

Scholarship application deadline is August 15.
Regular enrollment begins October 2.

Aya Oki, Bloom XI, blown glass, 15 x 15 x 15 inches
Aya Oki, Bloom XI, blown glass, 15 x 15 x 15 inches
Posted on by

Clay Spring Concentration

Clay – Spring Concentration
March 2 – April 25, 2025 (8 Weeks)
Michael Kline
Surfacing

This workshop will explore the possibilities of surface design on clay and its connection to form. Stamping, painting, incising, and scraping stoneware pots will bring layer upon layer of visual interest to the surface. We will also experiment with flashing slips, underglazes, wax resists, and glazes, firing to cone 10 in soda and gas reduction kilns. Numerous exercises will boost mark-making confidence. Forming techniques will include wheel throwing, altering thrown forms, and hump-molded forms. Handmade brushes and clay stamps will bring a unique touch to our marks. The convergence of practice, novel ideas, and refined technical skills will help students develop a signature body of work. All levels. Upper clay studio.

Studio potter; teaching: Anderson Ranch (CO), Haystack (ME), Shadbolt Centre for the Arts (BC) Harvard (MA); collections: Islip Art Museum (NY), The Gregg Museum (NC), University of Tennessee Ewing Art Gallery (TN), San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts (TX); published in Tableware in Clay (Crowood Press), The Art of Contemporary Pottery and Functional Pottery (Krause Publications), Mastering the Potter’s Wheel (Voyageur Press); former Penland resident artist.

klinepottery.com | @klineola

Scholarship application deadline is August 15.
Regular enrollment begins October 2.

Michael Kline, Pitcher, wheelthrown stoneware; hand-painted with wax resist, soda glazed, 11 x 7 x 7 inches
Michael Kline, Pitcher, wheelthrown stoneware; hand-painted with wax resist, soda glazed, 11 x 7 x 7 inches
Posted on by

Drawing & Painting Spring Concentration

Drawing & Painting Spring Concentration
March 11-May 4
Holly Roberts
The Perfect Union: Paint, Collage & Transfers

Students will begin the process of combining media by experimenting with different ways of applying paint. Painted surfaces will serve as the core of the images to follow and will guide students in forming these images. Students will experiment with transfer processes, gluing and adhesive techniques, and using their own source material to build images onto their painted surfaces. The workshop will stress investigation, exploration, and risk in an attempt to marry disparate media such as print, text, photographs, and any other material students want to use. All levels. Studio fee: $170. Code S00D

Studio artist; teaches nationally and internationally; two NEA fellowships; monographs of her work published by Nazraeli Press and Friends of Photography; collections: Art Institute of Chicago, Center for Creative Photography (AZ), San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Fine Art Houston, Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art.

hollyrobertsstudio.com

There are still work-study scholarships available for this concentration. Please contact the Penland registrar with interest at 828-765-2359 or registrar@penland.org.

Holly Roberts, "Snake Handler," mixed media, 29 x 40 inches
Posted on by

Books & Paper Spring Concentration

Papermaking – Spring Concentration
March 2 – April 25, 2025 (8 Weeks)
Jo Stealey
Exploring Paper as Sculpture

Create small-scale objects or large-scale installations using handmade paper. The workshop will begin with fiber processing for paper pulp, including methods for beating fibers to create specific qualities in the paper: opaque/translucent, low or high shrinkage, thick/thin, delicate/strong, etc. Then we will cover sheet forming, pigmenting pulp, pulp painting, collage, stencils, casting into found molds and cloth molds, joining cast elements, armatures, draping, and other approaches to developing 3-D forms. After three weeks of experimentation, students will use their preferred techniques to create a new body of work. The focus will be on artistic concepts and personal vision for the materials. All levels. 

Studio artist; professor emerita of fibers at University of Missouri-Columbia; solo exhibitions: Windgate Gallery (AR), Cedarhurst Museum (IL), Havana Biennial (Cuba); collections: National Portrait Gallery (DC), University of Arkansas Fort Smith, Lamar Museum (FL), Sioux City Art Center (IA), Spring Art Museum (MO); co-curator and catalog author for the traveling exhibition Rooted, Revived, Reinvented: Basketry in America. 

jostealey.com | @jostealey.art

Scholarship application deadline is August 15.

Regular enrollment begins October 2.

alexmcclay.com | @raaalex

Jo Stealey, Dusters, overbeaten abaca and flax, river willow, waxed linen, 36 x 20 x 6 inches
Jo Stealey, Dusters, overbeaten abaca and flax, river willow, waxed linen, 36 x 20 x 6 inches
Posted on by

Fall Weekend Textiles

TEXTLES WEEKEND SESSION
October 21 – 23, 2022
Dail Dixon
For the Birds

Birds enjoy a well-designed, well-built place to live, and we can all do our part to help. The first day of this workshop will alternate between demonstrations and making. With a little grit, you will complete a bluebird house ready for occupancy. On the second day, you can build another just like it or try a different style. Even better, you could consider a creative approach that adopts the elemental components of the birdhouse—volume, entry hole, and perch—to present an idea, an allegory, or a portrait. We’ll cover shop safety and basic tool use, and you will leave with new skills and homes for your feathered neighbors. Beginning level. 

Architect, woodworker; fellow of the American Institute of Architects; teaching: North Carolina State University, Penland; exhibitions: North Carolina Museum of Art, St. Johns Museum (NC), Duke University Museum (NC), GreenHill Center (NC), Light Art + Design (NC), Penland Gallery; architect for multiple Penland School projects. 

daildixon.com | @daildixon

Dail Dixon, Birds of Penland Series: Drawing Studio, poplar, colored pencils, kneaded eraser, spray primer, enamel, 5-1/4 x 5-3/4 x 10-1/8 inches
Dail Dixon, Birds of Penland Series: Drawing Studio, poplar, colored pencils, kneaded eraser, spray primer, enamel, 5-1/4 x 5-3/4 x 10-1/8 inches
Posted on by

Fall Weekend Photography

PHOTO FALL WEEKEND SESSION
October 20–22, 2023
Betsy DeWitt
Chemistry and Cloth

This workshop will meld the worlds of photography and textiles by using the cyanotype process to make prints on cloth. We’ll generate images using photograms (a cameraless process) and digital negatives, mix cyanotype chemistry, coat the fabric, then expose and develop our images. Once we have our blue beauties on fabric, we’ll cover simple sewing, embroidery, and fabric manipulation techniques to alter and embellish them. This workshop will give students a photo process and textile techniques they can practice in their own homes. All levels. Photography studio. 

Former photo/drawing and painting studio coordinator at Penland; exhibitions: Turchin Center for the Visual Arts (NC), Asheville Area Arts Council (NC), Vermont Center for Photography, Soho Photo Gallery (NYC), Rebus Works (NC), Leeds Gallery at Earlham College (IN), St. Andrews Art Gallery (TN).

Enrollment for this workshop will begin on May 1. 

Betsy DeWitt, Snack Bag, cyanotype on cotton, 13 x 13 inches
Betsy DeWitt, Snack Bag, cyanotype on cotton, 13 x 13 inches
Betsy DeWitt, Dazzle, cyanotype on cotton, 10 x 8 inches
Betsy DeWitt, Dazzle, cyanotype on cotton, 10 x 8 inches
Posted on by

Fall Weekend Iron

IRON FALL WEEKEND SESSION
October 20–22, 2023
Andy Dohner
Forging FUNdamentals for the Kitchen

Students in this workshop will learn the fundamentals of forging while making functional kitchen utensils. While the focus will be on forging utensils from single pieces of steel, students will be able to explore other possibilities. We’ll cover conventional and unconventional techniques like drawing a taper, isolating mass, spreading, and various connection options. Be prepared to work with fellow students of varying skill levels in a fun, safe environment that will encourage creativity. All levels. 

Studio artist; teaching: Peters Valley (NJ), Touchstone (PA), Campbell Folk School (NC), Center for Metal Arts (PA), California Blacksmith Association, The Steel Yard (RI); exhibitions: Madison Morgan Cultural Center (GA), Metals Museum (TN), Penland Gallery.

@andydohnerstudio

Enrollment for this workshop will begin on May 1. 

Andy Dohner, Kitchen Set, forged steel, 12 x 10 x 2 inches
Andy Dohner, Kitchen Set, forged steel, 12 x 10 x 2 inches
Posted on by

Fall Weekend Glass

GLASS FALL WEEKEND SESSION
October 20–22, 2023
Linda Sacra
Beads: Out of Round

Complete beginners and experienced flameworkers can explore the endless possibilities of bead making in this workshop: from one-color to multicolor, from round to asymmetric. After brief demonstrations, students will light the torches and make their own unique beads using soft glass and a variety of tools, stringers, and frits. The torch will ignite your creativity, and you’ll see that the best beads aren’t necessarily round. All levels. Flameworking studio.

Studio artist; teaching: Penland, workshops in her home studio; represented in galleries in the southeast including Sandpiper Gallery (SC) and Island Jewelers (NC). 

sacra
Posted on by

Fall Weekend Drawing and Painting

Drawing and Painting – Fall Weekend Session
October 22-24, 2021
Lara Call Gastinger
Discovering a Landscape Through Drawing

How do you immerse yourself in and capture the beauty of a new landscape? This weekend workshop will delve into making discoveries and seeing plants with new eyes by drawing with a pen and using watercolor to enrich the drawings. Students will go home with a treasured accordion nature journal depicting the inspiring plants and landscape of Penland. The skills learned will be adaptable for use in any travel or perpetual journal. All levels. 

Botanical artist and illustrator; two Royal Horticultural Society Botanical Art Show gold medals (London); numerous American Society of Botanical Illustrators (ASBA) exhibitions; illustrations published in Flora of Virginia, Peterson’s Field Guide to Mushrooms, ASBA’s Botanical Art Techniques Handbook.

laracallgastinger.com | @laragastinger

 

This workshop begins at 5:00 p.m. on Friday and workshop activities will end at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday; students are welcome to stay through Monday morning. Monday breakfast will be the last meal provided; please plan to depart campus by 10:00 a.m.

NOTE: Participation in fall workshops will require proof of full COVID-19 vaccination.

Lara Gastinger, Fal Perpetual Journal, pen and watercolor on paper, 9 x 11 inches
Lara Gastinger, Fal Perpetual Journal, pen and watercolor on paper, 9 x 11 inches