Penland Auction & Tour

The Penland 2012 auction tent as lighting lights up the sky.  The central focus of the trip was built around attending Penland’s Annual Benefit Auction featuring the sale of over 200 craft items, and it was a wonderful opportunity to interact with fellow craft enthusiasts. 

Tim Tate and Sean Hennessey have just returned from taking a James Renwick Alliance (JRA) tour out to North Carolina's Penland School of Crafts for the Annual Benefit Auction. Additionally,  the "Tour with Tate" visited the studios of some of the most talented artists surrounding Asheville. For this post - we will tag along with the JRA as they visit some of the artist studios.

Michael Sherrill's incredible studio 

Michael Sherrill's ceramic artwork

Ceramist Michael Sherrill has been making pots for more than twenty years. Originally, his work was completely functional, but it has evolved into work that is now wholly sculptural. He is one of the most thoughtful and articulate sculptors of our time.

Michael Sherrill talking about his work

Hoss Haley has worked in metal for over twenty years, creating sculpture, paintings, and public art. Hoss’s work is in several collections including Lowes Corporation, McColl Center for Visual Art, and the Mint Museum of Craft + Design.

Hoss recycles objects like washing machines and cars - often crumpling them into ball shapes mounted to walls or stacked.

Christina Cordova & Pablo De Soto's studio was visited as part of the tour. This husband and wife team operate their amazing studios on the grounds of Penland itself. Pablo’s beautiful glass blown vessels were loved by all and Cristina Cordova's incredible ceramics were a highlight to the tour. 

Christina Cordova talks about her recent works.

Christina Cordova's work is awesome.

Pablo De Soto charms Fred and Susan Sanders

A trip to the Asheville Art Museum  included a personal tour by curator Nancy Sokolove. Also, glass artist Alex Bernstein came to talk about his process.

Alex Bernstein talks to the JRA at the Asheville Art Museum.

Dan Essig's wordless works of art are sewn, woven and carved into magnificent artists’ books and sculptures. Dan’s works incorporates so many things -fossils, shells, coins and old nails—into his artwork. 

Dan Essig talks of his work

No trip to Asheville would be complete without a visit to the famous Blue Spiral Gallery. This amazing gallery currently has up work from the "Glass Secession" exhibit - that includes works by Christina Bothwell, Tim Tate, Michael Janis, Susan Taylor Glasgow and Sean Hennessey.

A view of the Blue Spiral 1 Gallery.

Stoney Lamar works in sculptural woodturning. His work is in such collections as High Museum of Art (Atlanta), American Craft Museum (NY), Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Institute, Yale University Gallery of Art, Mint Museum of Craft & Design (NC), Minneapolis Institute of Art, Wustum Museum of Fine Arts and the Detroit Institute of Art.

Stoney shows some of the special woods that Fleur  Bresler  had sourced.

Stoney talked of his process to the tour.

The big show was the drama, anticipation and socializing at the Penland Auction.

Glass sculptor Beth Lipman chats with Susan and Fred Sanders

Dan Clayman with the proud owners of his Penland auction piece....Giselle and Ben Huberman

The annual Penland auction was huge success. Over 600k raised for an incredible place - a new record! Congrats to all who were involved!