A Penland Featured Artist

February 10, 2016

A Penland Featured Artist

Copied from the Penland School of Crafts newsletter:

Penland's 31st Annual Benefit Auction is six months away, and we're gearing up for another year of gala celebrations and innovative craft! Save the date for this year's auction on August 12-13, 2016.

Please read on to learn more about the talented artists who will be featured at this year's event. Subsequent newsletters will contain more details about the work of these artists, other pieces that will be part of the auction, and more. Auction information will also be posted on the auction webpage.

Online registration opens February 15.

We look forward to seeing you under the tent at Penland this summer!

2016 Featured Artist: Wendy Maruyama

We are thrilled to announce that Wendy Maruyama is this year's featured artist.

A furniture maker, artist and educator, Wendy has been making innovative work for 40 years. She has exhibited around the world, and her pieces are in the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum (London), the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and the Museum of Art and Design (New York), among others.

Wendy's current work i ncorporate snarrative and messages of social advocacy .The wildLIFE Project, her most recent series, is inspired by the problems of poaching and its impact on elephants, rhinoceros, and other wild species. Elizabeth Kozlowski, former curator at the H o uston Center for Contemporary Craft, noted, "Her work manages to pull you in with stirring visuals and keep you engaged with multiple layers of content."

We are excited to share Wendy's passion and creative vision at the 2016 auction. In addition to this year's signature piece , The wildLIFE Project will be on display at the Penland Gallery July 12 - September 4, 2016.

Distinguished Artist Educator: Paulus Berensohn

We are proud to honor Paulus Berensohn for his lifetime commitment to teaching. For decades Paulus h as inspired generations of artists to create from an authentic and personal place. A poet, clay and book artist, and deep ecologist, Paulus nurtures the creative spirit in his many roles as teacher, mentor, and friend.

"Paulus Berenson, whether he's speaking, slowly and thoughtfully as he does, or just smiling, is a gift. With his presence, life takes on a new radiance and energy. He teaches. He shines."

-Mary Oliver, Pulitzer Prize winner

Centerpiece Artist: Margaret Couch Cogswell

Whimsical centerpieces by Penland instructor and former resident artistMargaret Couch Cogswell will bring a spirit of play and a hint of mischief to each table under the tent. As a mixed media artist, Margaret has worked in mediums from weaving and ceramics to painting and book arts. Margaret's work celebrates the joy of simple, everyday moments and has been shown in venues such as Blue Spiral 1 (Asheville, NC), Williamsburg Art and Historical Center (Brooklyn, NY), and Abecedarian Gallery (Denver, CO).

Coffee at the Barns: Lori Buff

Potter Lori Buff has been busy during Penland's winter residency firing mugs as the 2016 auction mug artist.

"I gently guide the clay and the glaze but rejoice in letting them become what they will," Lori says of her process. Each auction mug will be a unique combination of form, color, and the work of Lori's hands.

Thank you for being part of the Penland School of Crafts community.

Penland Links: penland.org | Blog | Classes | Support Penland

Penland School of Crafts is an international center for craft education dedicated to helping people live creative lives. Located in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, Penland offers workshops, artist residencies, a gallery, and community collaboration programs. Penland School is a nonprofit, tax-exempt institution that receives support for its programs 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.

Check out the gallery page - Future Relics Gallery by Lori Buff