Applying and Making Plans

How long is a winter residency?
Minimum is 1 week and maximum is 4 weeks in all studios except clay; for residencies in our clay studios, the minimum is 1 week and maximum is 6 weeks.

When is the application due?
All applications are due September 15, 2016. There is a $25 non-refundable application fee paid through SlideRoom when you submit your application.

When will I be notified of my application’s status?
Penland will notify all applicants by October 14, 2016.

How do I apply as a collaborator or with a group?
Each member of a group must apply individually and on time to be accepted. If applying together, please choose a group name and indicate it on your application, so we’ll know to enroll you together. If you organize a group of five or more, your group organizer receives free studio/housing. (Hint: some groups choose to share this savings.)

What happens if my arrival is delayed due to weather?
If you cannot get to Penland due to inclement weather, you will receive a prorated refund for the days that Penland is also closed.

How do I get to Penland?
Driving: For driving directions, click the link below.

Directions and Map
Please note that Asheville is the closest place to pick up or drop off a rental car.

Flying: You are responsible for arranging your own transportation to Penland. The Asheville Airport is the closest airport to Penland and is about 1 hour and 20 minutes away. There are multiple shuttle companies that will transport you from the airport to Penland. These are a few that we use on a regular basis:

Harry Siegel (Asheville Airport Shuttle)
harrys8684@charter.net
828-231-1053

William (Billy) Paulk (Pegasus Airport Limousine)
pegasusairport@charter.net
828-281-4600

Joe Tandy (Grandy Co. Transportation)
joe3holly@gmail.com
828-691-0504

You can find a more complete list on the airport website:
flyavl.com/pages/passenger-services/transportation.php

If you fly into Charlotte, please be aware that it is 2 ½ hours from Penland, and it will be much more difficult to arrange ground transportation.

Staying at Penland

What are the housing facilities like and what basic amenities are provided?
Housing varies from dorm rooms (3 or more beds/room) to single private rooms with a private bathroom. You can decide which level suits your preference and request this on your application. Find examples of some of our rooms here:

About Penland Housing

All rooms are simple; linens, blankets, and towels are provided.

What common facilities do the resident artists share?
All studios and kitchens are communal. Some housing and bathrooms are shared; this depends on the housing you choose when applying.

What do residents do about meals? Are there dining facilities?
The Pines, our dining hall, is closed in the winter. Winter residents are responsible for their own meals. Each resident is assigned to a shared kitchen; each kitchen is equipped with basic cooking equipment, tableware, and cleaning supplies. Kitchen areas are communal and residents are responsible for kitchen clean up after each use.

Our Coffee House will be open from 9am-2pm, Monday through Friday. They have coffee, light snacks, sandwiches and soup available. We are hoping to extend these hours but for now, this is still TBD.

If I don’t have transportation during the residency, how will I get to local stores for food and supplies?
The closest town is only 10 minutes away and residents quickly make friends and carpool. You may also ask your shuttle driver (if you are flying into Asheville) to stop at Ingles Market in Burnsville on your way to Penland from the airport. The shuttle drives directly past it on the way to Penland.

Working in the Studio

How many resident artists will be in the studio at one time?
There will be a limited number of artists per studio, and each studio is a little different (in general there will be 5-7 residents per studio, a few more in clay studios). Expect enough people to provide conversation and creative camaraderie, but not so many that focused time in the studio is compromised.

Is there storage in the studio?
There are individual workstations and storage for residents in every studio. Find more detailed information about facilities and equipment in each studio here:

About Penland Studios

(Choose a particular studio from the menu at the top of the page.)

Is the School Store open during the winter?
Our School Store will be open from 10am-4pm, Monday through Friday.

Where will resident writers work?
Each writer will be given a simple workspace with a desk and chair in a shared, quiet studio equipped for writers only.

Will there be someone in the studio to assist with the equipment?
This is an independent residency, so you must be comfortable with the equipment you will need for your project. Studio assistants and studio coordinators will be available in the studios to orient residents and offer troubleshooting advice from time to time. Please note: they are not instructors; we expect winter residents are able and willing to work independently with only minimal assistance here and there.

How do I find out what equipment and supplies are available in the studios?
Studio Coordinators will email you a list of equipment and supplies available in the studio once you have been accepted. You can also find a list of equipment on our website:

About Penland Studios

There will be a studio fee for consumable materials used during the residency.

What if I need to use multiple studios for my project?
Please give details in your project description if you will need to use more than one studio. There may be an additional fee if you require dedicated space or intend to work regularly in more than one studio. You will be prompted to select a “home base” studio for each week of your residency. Your “home base” studio is where you will have a desk, storage and access to studio equipment within that studio full time. The best way to work in multiple studios in to select which studio you want for each week of your residency. Example: Week 1 – Wood Studio, Week 2 – Print Studio, Week 3 & 4 – Upper Metals studio.

What processes can each studio support?
Drawing & Painting: encaustic painting (possibly restricted to specific sessions); oil, acrylic, and watercolor painting; drawing, collage, and mixed media; small to large scale

Textiles (Lower): weaving, tapestry, spinning, dyeing, basketry, embroidery, knitting/crocheting, hand & machine sewing

Textiles (Upper): natural, acid and MX dyeing; all surface design techniques including silkscreen printing, shibori, and marbling; leather working, hat making, sewing and construction, quilting, felting

Metals (Upper): casting, enameling, fabrication, soldering, die forming

Metals (Lower): raising, fabrication, soldering, die forming, acid etching

Photography: digital processes (archival digital prints, digital transfer processes, photo editing, photo book editing), studio shoots (strobe kits, hot lights, and flood lights for studio photography)

Printmaking: lithography (stone/plate), copper etching with ferric, silkscreen, relief, monoprinting

Letterpress: type setting (wood and metal type), photopolymer, pressure prints, engraving/lino

Books: all book structures, leather working, foil stamping, gilding

Papermaking: Eastern and western styles; sheet forming (max size 30 x 40″), sculptural papermaking

Wood: traditional/nontraditional furniture making, wood turning, carving, marquetry, CNC, steam bending, stack lamination, various surface treatments and finishing techniques, sculpture

Iron: various hot forging and sheet forming processes, blacksmithing, all welding processes, sheet metal fabrication

Clay (Upper): wheel throwing, hand building; firing: electric, gas reduction, salt, soda, raku, wood (restricted to specific weeks of residency)

Clay (Lower): sculpture, hand building, mold making, slip casting; firing: electric kilns

Glass: glass casting, fusing, flameworking, and coldworking (fees include glass); advanced glassblowing: if you are applying to blow glass, you must bring your own gaffer—the only additional cost for your gaffer is housing. Resident and gaffer must apply via SlideRoom separately, so we can make arrangements for both of you. We offer 8-hour slots per day for a minimum of one week; fees include glass.