Penland Summer and Fall Classes

There are still a few open classes in 7th session at Penland School of Crafts. The list includes classes in clay, glass, iron, photography, printmaking, textiles and wood.

A Fall Workshop Preview:

Metal Furniture with Vivian Beer :  September 25 - November 18

Furniture is a powerful format for expressing concepts and engaging in an imaginative and physical experience. This is a class in designing and building metal furniture, exploring work that falls between function and sculpture. Demonstrations will cover drafting, scale modeling, pattern making, welding, hollow construction, jig making, forging, hand hammer control, and a varied use of abrasives for finishing and surface development. Students will work with everything from hand hammer to TIG welder, hydraulic press, and slip roller. We will touch on proportion, ergonomics, style, history, material experimentation, design theory, and terminology. Whether your goals are sculptural, functional, technical, or conceptual, the iron shop will become your creative laboratory.

Penland's eight-week fall and spring concentrations are an unmatched opportunity in craft education: almost as long as a college semester, with the intensity of a total-immersion workshop. This is a great time to settle into the studio and make great strides in your work.  Click here to for more information and to check out our complete lineup of fall and spring classes!

Historic Preservation Workshops

Honoring the past is an important part of building the future. So we're pleased to be partnering with the North Carolina State Office of Historic Preservation offer two special workshops this fall in the craft of renovation and historic preservation.

October 14 - 15: Historic Preservation Workshop with preservation architect Joe Oppermann
October 21 - 22:Window Restoration Workshop with specialist David Hoggard
Click here for more information, pricing, and registration.

January Printmaking and Letterpress Residencies for Artists and Writers

Like snow? Like ink? Both are in the forecast for our January residency opportunities in print and letterpress. These residencies are designed for eight artists or writers in each studio who would like to work with a lead printmaker or letterpress printer for two weeks in January, 2012. The first session is January 2-15; second session is January 17-30.

The application deadline is September 15, 2011. Click here for more information and an application form.

Winter Studio Rentals

Penland doesn't offer classes in the winter, but that doesn't mean the studios are empty. Each winter, there is a small but lively community on the hill made up of staff members and winter renters. The books, clay, glass, iron, metals, photo, textiles, and wood studios are available in January and February for folks who wish to work independently--the letterpress and print studios are available in February. Housing is also available.  You can find complete information on the winter rental page here.