Photo by Judy Sorita Rosenthal courtesy of Robin Dreyer and Penland School of Crafts.

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Penland School of Crafts

Penland School of Crafts, in Penland, North Carolina, is a national center for education in contemporary and traditional craft. The school offers instruction by world-renowned teachers in a variety of media including books & paper, clay, drawing, glass, iron, metals, photography, printmaking and letterpress, textiles, and wood.

Penland School of Crafts offers one-week and two-week classes in the summer and eight-week sessions in the spring and fall. The school also offers three-year residencies to provide a stimulating and supportive environment to artists who are at a transitional point in their careers.

Episcopalian schoolteacher Lucy Morgan founded the school in 1929 to help preserve the craft of weaving in mountain communities.

Visitors can view and purchase the work of instructors, resident artists, students, and neighboring artists at Penland Gallery, which also offers special exhibitions. Visitors can also take a tour of the campus (listed on the National Register of Historic Places), view the studios of resident artists, and pick up a map to dozens of working studios in the local area.

Hours of Operation

Penland Gallery is open from early March through mid-December on the following days of the week:

Tuesday - Saturday: 10 am - 5 pm
Sunday: 12 pm - 5 pm
(Closed on Mondays)

Tours of Penland School are offered on Tuesdays at 10:30 am and on Thursdays at 1:30 pm. Reservations are required.

Hours of operation are subject to change. Contact directly for most current information.

Admission Fees

Admission to Penland Gallery and tours of Penland School are free.

Location

Penland School of Crafts is located on Penland Road near the town of Spruce Pine, NC.

Penland School of Crafts
67 Doras Trail
Penland, NC 28765
(828) 765-2359
(828) 765-6211 (gallery)