In January, I spent two weeks in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina at Penland School of Craft, as a part of their Winter Residency program. I received their Distinguished Fellowship, which they award to a handful of artist residents.
Penland is over 90 years old, and has over a dozen gorgeous studios, including Books, Letterpress & Printing, Photography, Ceramics, Iron, Metals, Wood, Textiles, Drawing & Painting, and more. I used this time to make new work for my upcoming solo exhibition at Heron Arts. I explored stop-motion further, and experimented with new techniques such as embroidery and metal leafing.
I made friends across all of the other studios, and we’d take breaks from our work to go on walks, have campfire singalongs, and the occasional dance party. I didn’t go to art school, so for me, it was a revelation to be surrounded by so many wildly creative people at once.
I left feeling both rested and energized, with nine new pieces for the show, and a whole bunch of new friends. I really see why people do artist residencies! It simultaneously felt like a vacation, and also the most productive two weeks of my life.
Watch the two videos below to get a little taste for my time at Penland!