Penland School of Crafts Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 – 2007 Penland’s Mission The mission of Penland School of Crafts is to support individual and artistic growth through craft. The Penland Vision Penland’s programs engage the human spirit which is expressed throughout the world in craft. Penland enriches lives by teaching skills, ideas, and the value of the handmade. Penland welcomes everyone—from vocational and avocational craft practitioners to interested visitors. Penland is a stimulating, transformative, egalitarian place where people love to work, feel free to experiment, and often exceed their own expectations. Penland’s beautiful location and historic campus inform every aspect of its work. Penland’s Educational Philosophy Penland’s educational philosophy is based on these core ideas: • Total immersion workshop education is a uniquely effective way of learning. • Close interaction with others promotes the exchange of information and ideas between individuals and disciplines. • Generosity enhances education—Penland encourages instructors, students, and staff to freely share their knowledge and experience. • Craft is kept vital by preserving its traditions and constantly expanding its boundaries. Cover Information Front cover: this pot was built by David Steumpfle during his summer workshop. It was glazed and fired by Cynthia Bringle in and sold in the Penland benefit auction for a record price. It is shown in Cynthia’s kiln at her studio at Penland. Inside front cover: chalkboard in the Pines dining room, drawing by instructor Arthur González. Inside back cover: throwing a pot in the clay studio during a workshop taught by Jason Walker. Title page: Instructors Meg Peterson and Mark Angus playing accordion duets during an outdoor Empty Bowls dinner. Annual Report Credits Editor: Robin Dreyer; design: Leslie Noell; writing: Dan Bailey, Robin Dreyer, Susan Klaffky, Jean McLaughlin, Judy Moore; assistance: Mike Davis, Donna Jean Dreyer Lisa Heller, Susan Klaffky, Susan McDaniel, Jean McLaughlin,Wesley Middleton, Nathalie Mornu photographs: Robin Dreyer, except where noted. Penland School of Crafts Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 – 2007 Penland School of Crafts receives support from the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art. From the Director As I reflect on the twelve months presented in this annual report, I am struck by the many ways continuity and change come together at Penland. Change is a healthy constant for our evolution, and continuity enables us to remain grounded. They are evident in the dynamic innovation of our programs and the deep respect paid to our history and traditions. During this year, we began to implement our new five-year plan and completed important campus improvements. We also adopted new strategies to strengthen our services and sustain the creative energy that defines Penland. Our summer workshops demonstrated the diverse Jean McLaughlin kicking off the 2006 annual benefit auction. approaches, imaginative content, and thoughtful development of process and ideas that characterize a Penland session. All Initiative. Recognizing that our eight-year-old art education the classes in the second session explored a special theme, outreach program, Hands On Learning, required a new focus Craft and Social Conscience, inspired by the work of artists who to better serve local school students and to expand the impact use the materials of craft to express ideas about personal of our efforts, we developed a model program that incorpo- responsibility and engagement with society. Students were rates our existing arts-integrated curriculum methods, builds encouraged to think about making craft in relation to social, on our strong relationships with the public schools, and pro- cultural, spiritual, and personal concerns. In the tradition of vides training and mentoring for teaching artists through new Penland’s founder Lucy Morgan, who worked through craft to regional partnerships. improve the lives of people in the community and support their traditions, this special session focused on craft making as Campus improvements resulting from the Preserve Penland a point of intersection of ideas and action. campaign continued during ‒ with the opening of the new wood studio and the construction of the Paul Hayden Throughout the year we saw classes that worked to preserve Duensing Letterpress and Print Studio. The new studios craft traditions: Cedi Djaba taught Ghanaian glass bead mak- incorporate strong contemporary design with respect for ing, Bruce Le Page drew on his knowledge of historical Penland’s historic and natural setting.These new studios will firearms in a class on metal engraving, and Beth Ross support innovative programming that will fuel creativity and Johnson’s textiles Concentration was based in Scottish and strengthen learning experiences for both students and Japanese weaving. Alongside these were classes designed to instructors. move beyond tradition: Tremain Smith encouraged students to combine the ancient technique of encaustic painting with This was also a year when we decided to develop a new other media and contemporary expression, Jeffrey Funk’s administrative structure for Penland, triggered by the depar- iron students learned about using charcoal and other alterna- ture of our director of operations and finance in March. tive fuels for blacksmithing, and Howard Werner taught Recognizing the need to strengthen our administrative capac- woodcarving using chainsaws and power grinders. ity, we created a new deputy director position.This position will provide on-site administrative leadership for the school, As part of the special session, the Penland Gallery mounted an allowing me to focus more intently on securing resources for exhibition titled Ethos: Craft and Social Conscience, featuring Penland while taking news about the school to our instruc- work by session instructors and other artists using craft to tors, students, and supporters in other parts of the country. express ideas about society and the human condition. Other gallery shows included Gatherings, a survey of new work by As I look optimistically toward Penland’s future, please join glass artists, and the whimsical Beasties, which displayed work me in taking a moment to celebrate the achievements of our that uses animals as inspiration.The gallery continues to pro- ‒ fiscal year and to thank the many generous con- vide visitors with a point of entry to the craft community. tributors who made it possible for Penland School to touch the lives of thousands of individuals. Innovation and continuity also fueled this year’s planning for our community education program, the Teaching Artist —Jean W. McLaughlin, director Penland School of Crafts Annual Report 2006–2007 From the Board Chair As chair of the board of trustees of Penland School of Crafts, important annual support for studios, classes, and scholarship I am pleased to present the school’s 2006-2007 annual report. programs as well as funding for critical capital needs that In this report, we describe Penland’s major activities for the inevitably arise each year. year, providing you with a clearer understanding of how your gifts have contributed to advancing the mission of the school. At the same time we have continued to strengthen our educa- That mission, to support individual and artistic growth tional services through the completion of the major studio through craft, was well served by the workshops, outreach projects funded through the Preserve Penland comprehensive programs, gallery exhibitions, scholarships, and studio campaign. The board has begun to assess additional critical improvements described on the following pages. facilities needs and completed a study that analyzes housing issues and proposes important residential improvements.The During this year, we have strengthened Penland’s capacity to long-range vision for Penland’s housing foresees facilities that provide the highest quality services to artists and the craft support community building, provide a variety of housing community and to be a source of inspiration and artistic types to serve a diverse population, and nurture our students development for our students and instructors. Guided by our new strate- gic plan, which details a path of responsible growth of our resources through 2010, we have undertaken projects designed to inform prospec- tive students and other audiences about Penland’s programs and to expand our base of support. We have worked to increase Penland’s visibility nationwide, most notably with the completion of our new DVD, Postcard from Penland, which presents our classes and teaching studios within the context of history and place. During this year, Penland staff and artists also participated in the filming of a Penland segment for a PBS series on craft in America. And in this year, we Trustees Kaola Phoenix, Hellena Huntley Tidwell, Beverly McIver, and Betsy Bethune working in transformed our annual report from a the Penland metals studio during a special workshop for board members. newsprint format to this booklet that presents quality photographs, expanded information, and and supporters through positive residential experiences. comments from students, instructors, and donors about the value of the Penland experience. We are grateful to you for your enthusiastic support of Penland. We value above all our strong relationships with We have focused