Press release from Penland School of Crafts:
The Penland School of Crafts Community Open House will take place on Saturday, March 4 from 1:00 – 5:00 PM. This is an afternoon of fun and education for all ages with hands-on activities in most of Penland’s teaching studios. No admission is charged. Many activities are messy, so don’t wear your fancy clothes.
Here are the activities for the afternoon: In the clay studio you can make a clay pot on the potter’s wheel or create a little clay sculpture and decorate it. In the metals studio, cast a small keepsake in pewter. In the photo studio, you can have a portrait made by Penland’s resident-artist photographer, Mercedes Jelinek. In iron you can shape hot steel with a hammer and an anvil to make a wall hook. Iron studio signups will begin at 1:00 PM so you can claim a slot and then come back when it’s your time.
In the print studio you can watch printmaking demonstrations and make your own print on the Vandercook letterpress. Visitors to the textiles studio can watch weaving demonstrations and use a sewing machine to put together a small bag. In the wood studio, carve a wooden letter opener. In the school store, explore origami using colorful paper. At the Ridgeway building, make decorative paper using the paste-paper painting process.
In hot glass, make either a paperweight or a juice glass. In flameworking, you can make an ornamental glass bead. Please note that glass activities are very popular. Signups for glass start at 1:00 PM, but people start lining up at least an hour earlier, so come early if you are hoping to make something in the glass studio. Glass activities are limited to visitors 12 years of age and above. Items made in the hot glass studio will be available for pickup on Sunday afternoon (because hot class has to cool slowly).
If you need a bite to eat while you are at the open house, the Mitchell High School Marching Band Boosters will be selling hot dog lunches from 12:30 to 5:00 PM as a fundraiser.
Penland School is located near Spruce Pine in Mitchell County. For more information and directions to the school, visit penland.org or call 828-765-2359.
Many thanks to the more than 100 volunteers who make this event possible. The Penland open house is supported by Dr. Taylor Townsend, DDS.
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