We’ve come so far. Hurricane Helene touched our special corner of the world back in September. Our community and our campus were deeply affected. We were disconnected from the world and left without the most basic of services. Our thoughtfully planned and long-awaited fall programming was cancelled just as it was about to begin.

Three months ago, programming was impossible. Today, we are ready to welcome 80 winter residents into our teaching studios and housing (138 residents will join us over two weeks).

Here’s what’s coming up in 2025—

-Winter residency begins this Sunday.

-Registration for spring workshops is open.

-Registration for summer workshops opens Feb 3.

-Fall workshops will be posted on Feb 16.

Your messages kept us going.

As we prepare to reopen, we would like to share some of your heartfelt messages. Shared with our staff in the days following the storm, these (and many more) buoyed us when we were most in need of encouragement.

We are deeply grateful for our community, one that reaches across time and space in mutual support. Thank you for supporting us with your kind words, generous donations, and healing thoughts.

Here are just a few…

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“Attending Penland has been on my bucket list for years. Finally looking at retirement and I just might be able to come someday- the notion that “my” Penland (and artists) are in peril is so disquieting. Endless hugs and energy for this massive cleanup!” -Micaela

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“Penland is not only a school but also an inspiration knowing that craft can carry on in a world looking for bigger/faster/newer. The world needs to know that beauty and the community to make it exists, and has strength in hidden resources.” -Edward

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“Thank you for helping support members of the local community after Helene! My brother and sister-in-law who live nearby are now at least able to enjoy some hot meals at Penland.” -Alan

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“If there is anything that crafty people can do, it’s fix shit! I am sorry to see such devastation, but am certain y’all have the army to build this institution back even better. Sending love and perseverance!” <3 -Kirstin

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“I taught my fourth workshop at Penland last July. It was incredibly moving to read Mia’s description of the drawing together of the community to offer mutual aid. Know that you have a lot of supporters around the country who are rooting for you!” -Julie

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“Twenty-one-plus years ago, when I was pregnant with my first child, I spent three weeks at Penland and have loved it ever since. Craft and Art bring hope to all. May your recovery proceed smoothly, and may you continue to lighten our weary souls.” -Kim

Thank you, friends.
Wishing you a year with lots of community, creativity, and joy.

Scholarships are an important part of the Penland workshop landscape. Did you know:

• About half of Penland students attend with financial assistance.
• Scholarships are open to all ages and all skill levels.
• Scholarships are available for all Penland workshops, with the exception of our fall weekend workshops.
• Full and partial scholarships make Penland programming more accessible and enhance the workshop experience for all.

But don’t just take is from us. Meet some of last summer’s scholarship recipients:

I am a retired RN. I am looking to begin anew as a practicing artist. This has lit a fire in me, and shown me how to make it possible. – Kathleen, print scholarship recipient

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I will look back on this experience as a turning point in both my work and life, and judging by the strength of this community, I see Penland being woven into my story for a long time to come. -Finley, textiles scholarship recipient

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My class, ‘The Anti-Purist Rapture’ with the de la Torre brothers, has pushed the boundaries of my art practice and left me with new ideas and concepts to explore in my MFA this fall. -Ariel, glass scholarship recipient

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More About Penland Scholarships

Penland offers a variety of financial aid, from full to partial scholarships to studio assistantships to the Pines Scholarship, an opportunity to work at Penland for one or two weeks and then take a workshop. In recent years, we have made important changes in the interest of equity, eliminating the need for images for most scholarships, removing the requirement for letters of recommendation, reducing the application fee to just $5, and eliminating work requirements while students are engaged in workshops.

We are currently accepting applications for Summer 2025. With over 100 workshops to choose from, now is the perfect time to apply and to share this opportunity with someone who could benefit from an immersive craft workshop at Penland.

Apply by December 16th!

Ashley, textiles scholarship recipient

This stunning pocket door by Jack Mauch can be found at Copley House, Penland’s director’s residence. Installed over the summer, the 5-inch thick pocket door is both a showcase and a test case for the 3D veneering technique that Jack has been honing for years. Jack said this about his process:

This is the first time I put my 3D veneering technique to the test on a major piece which pushed the limits of the process. Like much of my recent work, making this door involved heavy use of CAD and digital manufacturing. I continue to have my imagination sparked by the power and possibilities of digital tools, while finding the actual processes tiresome and antithetical to the sensual thrill of craft. All this is to say, I am proud of this piece and it challenged me in many ways

Penland is proud to have commissioned this work and grateful to Jack for pouring his time, creativity, and problem-solving skills into creating something so beautiful. Discover more of Jack’s work HERE.

The Bartlett Tree Experts have safely removed all trees from buildings on the Penland campus

As we prepare to open 2025 spring enrollment and summer scholarship applications this Friday, we are reflecting once again on how lucky we are. The damage to our campus from Hurricane Helene could have been so much worse, and we have come so far in just six weeks. Right now things are a bit disrupted, but the buildings are solid and dry and our studios are operational!

Studio coordinator Adam Leestma in the letterpress studio

Electricity and heat have returned to all open parts of campus, and satellite internet is now functioning at The Pines, Craft House, Lily Loom, Horner Hall, Facilities and Grounds shed, and The Barns studios. Trees have been removed from buildings and roadways, and roof work and building repair is underway where needed. 

Power has been restored

Our campus will be ready for visitors again soon, starting early next year with winter residency. Workshops will resume in the spring with spring concentration and spring short session. Summer 2025 is moving forward as originally intended. 

There’s still a bit of fall color outside the glass studio

We are deeply grateful to the volunteers, skilled workers, and dedicated staff members who have gotten us so far in such a short time. 

Click HERE to see a video of a 7,000 tree being removed from a building

We are so grateful for your continued support and can’t wait to welcome you back! Click HERE to view spring workshops. Summer workshops will be posted on Friday, November 15th.

Studio coordinator Kylie Little in the wood studio

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Penland’s Community Collaborations team went to work immediately. With regular programming paused (YMCA After School art program, 11th grade memoir project, and 3rd grade moon journal project), they began volunteering with local supply distribution groups and centers (among them Penland’s after school program at the Spruce Pine Housing Authority) and attending meetings at the Mitchell Senior Center for updates in Mitchell County. Participating in these meetings and being on the ground at the distribution center, the team remained connected to the community and gained insight on how they could help.

Staff are volunteering in the Mitchell County Volunteer Resource Center, answering phones and helping connect people who need support with volunteers willing to provide services, including tree cutting, road grading, muck removal, brush clearance, firewood delivery, tarping and repairing roofs, mold remediation, delivery of food and fuel, coordinating large supply deliveries, and more. Hundreds of volunteers have come to the area to help.

In the Schools

Mitchell County students have been out of school since September 26th, with buildings and staff reallocated to meet the needs of the community following the storm. Many school buildings have been serving as shelters and distribution centers, and many staff members have been volunteering to help. Penland’s team met early on with school leadership, working on a plan to distribute enrichment materials to students who are not in school.

Mitchell County Elementary is distributing packets with academic activities for K-5 students, and our Community Collaborations team has been creating and distributing fun and creative art activity packets around the themes of observation, connection, and reflection— 600 each week!  With schools acting as distribution centers, families are able to get the supplies they need when picking up academic and art packets. Most importantly, we are pleased to report that all students have been accounted for.

These activities will continue through October. “Connection Week” will lead students through making friendship bracelets and sculpting pop up cards to share with friends, family, and helpers. “Reflection Week” will encourage them to take water bottles, in plentiful supply after the storm, and turn them into mosaic lanterns using glue and colorful tissue paper, adding beauty to the darkening days of winter. The team is also making packets for Mountain Opportunity, a vocational center that provides support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

For the Community Collaborations team, reconnecting with the students has been rewarding—

It has been really heartwarming to see teachers and students reconnected after the storm, even if just for a few moments. Lots of hugs and tears – it is so important for them to see one another and know that they are okay. Our teachers are the best.

-Stacey Lane, community collaborations manager

Several high fives and hugs, playing with slime with Bella. The kids are so happy to see each other. They run to each other and hug. Creed was happy about all the Nutella he has gotten to eat. They are excited about Halloween and sports! They just seem to want to get back to normal. I was lucky enough to see a new cheer being performed too!

-Lori Johnson, teaching artist

The Hive

“The kids helped bring a lot of supplies into the Food and Supply hub at The Hive. We joked that it was like opening a whole Dollar General store in six hours,” said Stacey Lane.

The Hive, Penland’s after-school art program at the Spruce Pine Housing Authority, has remained open since a few days after Helene, with expanded hours to serve youth while they are out of school. The Housing Authority was without power for about 10 days, and water is still not potable but is now flowing for other purposes. The majority of the space has been converted into a food and supply hub, which will remain up through October.

There is still space in the front for art and games. Donations have been overwhelming and much-needed as many residents don’t have cars and the closest grocery store is closed due to storm damage. Distributing donations has allowed us to get to know neighbors who have not previously attended events at The Hive. Many of our volunteers were severely impacted by the storm and will return over the coming weeks as life allows.

Youth from The Hive offering a door-to-door delivery service of supplies to their neighbors.

Donations have been overwhelming and much-needed. Many residents don’t have cars and the closest grocery store was flooded. Distributing donations has made it possible to get to know neighbors who have not previously attended events at The Hive. Many regular volunteers were severely impacted by the storm and will return over the coming weeks as life allows.

PENLAND COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS

Skilled artists, dedicated teachers, and deeply connected community members, Penland’s Community Collaboration staff works year round to enrich the lives of children and communities in Mitchell County. In 2024, Community Collaborations programs provided experiential arts education for 3,678 children and 3,964 adults through Teaching Artist in the Schools, Subs with SuitCASEs, Summer Camp, After School Workshops, Community Open House, community events, and other initiatives.

Despite being personally affected by the storm and getting by without phones, power, or running water for weeks, these wonderful humans have continued their important work during this extraordinary time. We are proud of our team and thankful to them for their efforts.

Left to Right: Therese Watkins, community collaborations program coordinator and Lori Johnson, teaching artist

Stacey Lane, community collaborations manager, works with fifth graders at the annual “Toes in the Toe” festival shortly before Hurricane Helene

If you would like to support Penland’s recovery or ongoing work, please consider making a gift today.

HISTORIC FLOODING

Becky Davis, the intrepid postmistress at the Penland Post Office, knows exactly what time the Toe River flowed over the railroad tracks next to the post office: Friday, Sept 27 at 4:30 pm. She knows this because she came to work as usual on Friday morning at the height of the hurricane and stayed to scan the blue post box outside her door at 4:30 pm: the official last task of the work day. 

Autumn Brown, Penland’s iron coordinator, and neighbor to the post office, had asked Becky to signal to her when the water began to crest the tracks, so Becky waved her arms towards Autumn’s house to let her know. Autumn then waded over to help Becky escape the post office and shelter in her home for the remainder of the event.

Becky is safe and has returned to her home on the other side of the mountain, which survived the storm. However, the nearby home on the banks of North Toe River where she raised her family was swept away by Helene’s floodwaters. 

The building that Penland Post Office occupies was built by Isaac Bailey in the late 1800s and was originally Bailey Lumber Company until the USPS moved there in the early 1900s.  It last flooded during the historic flood of 1916, an event that destroyed much of the small mica mining settlement of Penland. Becky tells us that during the 1916 flood, her grandfather witnessed knee-deep water in the post office, and that it survived, along with other nearby buildings, because they were all lashed together with cables connected to the nearby railroad tracks.

RECOVERY

During Hurricane Helene, the post office took on a lot of water, but it is still standing! Its floor has buckled in several places, it received impact from a tree, the parking lot is covered in mud, and the recently completed renovations to the foundation are now in need of assessment. In-progress renovations to provide septic and water to the structure have been paused.

In the days after the storm, friends and neighbors of the Penland Post Office have come to help. Becky has been there every day, though mail is currently being rerouted through the post office in Spruce Pine. James Kriegsmann and Bryan Parnham took on the unpleasant job of removing the carpet, while neighbors Elizabeth Brim, Kit Paulson, Autumn Brown and Le Anne Brown worked with Becky to remove important historical items to dry next door in the old general store. Thor Bueno stops by daily with a generator to help dry out the building, and a tree that fell on the back of the building was removed by volunteers from Emerald Isle, NC. Soon, a tarp will be affixed to the structure by John Grey, and Buck Pollard and others will make repairs and continue renovations. The efforts continue daily to care for the building and its contents until electricity is restored sometime in the next month.

Standing near the tracks, looking at the river, Becky voiced what many have thought in the wake of this historic storm: ”Look at all this, it will never be the same again.”

YOU CAN HELP

Since 2012, a community-run 501(c)3 has been working to restore the Penland Post Office. The building has recently been stabilized and preliminary work has been done to add a septic system. Following the flooding, there is now even more to be done.

This little post office, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is not only historically significant, it is an important part of the Penland community. If you are able, we invite you to donate to its restoration.

SEND BECKY A NOTE

Sadly, just after the storm, Cleo Davis, Becky’s husband of 53 years, passed away in the care of his Burnsville nursing home. Becky is one of the longest serving US postal employee (over 57 years) and is a beloved pillar of our community. Please join us in sending your condolences and support by dropping a note to Becky Davis, PO Box 8, Penland NC 28765 or click here to help with funeral expenses.

HURRICANE HELENE UPDATES

Right now at Penland, we are focused on supporting our staff and community and restoring our campus. Penland campus is closed except to essential staff, road workers, and our closest neighbors. Conley Ridge Road is in bad condition, and several crews are working to make assessments and improvements. There are intermittent road closures in all directions, so it’s possible to get delayed or stuck at any point. Please help us and our road crews by not driving on these roads unless it’s necessary. Every visitor to Penland impedes painstaking progress for DOT and Duke Energy. We are so grateful for their help and want to keep them safe (we’ve been making lunch for them!). Recovery will take time, but we are looking forward to the future when we can gather here again in the name of craft.  We will be back in 2025 and we hope you will join us. 

Find support and ways to help here.

With very limited connectivity in the wake of Hurricane Helene, it has been a challenge to tell the story of what has been happening at Penland. Things are slowly improving, and we wanted to take a moment to share the story of what those first days were like and how our community has come together to help one another. 

GETTING THROUGH IT

As the forecast worsened on Thursday, September 26th, 2024, Penland staff made the decision to cancel the end-of-session show-and-tell and urged those who could to travel to safety. Of about 90 students, 70 were able to travel. Those who remained were in for a bit of a wild ride. Spoiler, everyone is ok!

Western North Carolina was hit hard by Tropical Storms Debbie and Helene in short succession. At Penland, the power went out at 3:00 AM on Friday morning. Around 7:30 AM, Penland staff member Wes Stitt was awakened by a call from a student staying in the sleeping cabins— a tree had fallen on their roof. Heading up to help, Wes soon discovered that driving from one place to another on Penland’s campus was simply not possible. Roads were littered with downed trees and wires.

As the storm continued to rage, everyone on campus gathered at The Pines, Penland’s dining hall, which has a generator. Cellular service in the area had ceased abruptly on Friday morning, making it impossible to check in with loved ones as well as to discover the outside situation. Folks on campus played music and kept eachother company. The wonderful kitchen crew continued to keep everyone fed. 

Of this time, Wes Stitt had this to say, 

On a personal note, there were a few days that were really scary here. For several days we didn’t have a water system up. The generators were on, but there were breaks in the water lines, so the tanks drained. For a couple of days, we were in a real emergency mentality. We were afraid we might run out of water and we had never run the generator longer than two and a half days before.

MAKING CONTACT

Happily, things got better much more quickly than anyone had expected. Contact with the outside world was established about 30 hours in, when former Penland Resident Artists Rachel Meginnes and Jacob Huston hiked in with a StarLink cube, allowing everyone to let their loved ones know they were safe. Wood studio coordinator Kylie Little and former Penland Resident Artist Adam Whitney also hiked in with news from friends and from Bakersville, which had flooded during the storm. While Penland’s campus had sustained significant damage, we soon realized that compared to the surrounding areas, like Spruce Pine, Bakersville, and Burnsville, Penland had been relatively lucky.

PROBLEM SOLVING

Members of Penland’s facilities and grounds crew got to work. They identified and closed the water leaks, a muddy task. Franklin Oldham and Matt Moore went above and beyond, as usual.

Next was the problem of access. Rather than wait to be rescued, folks swung into action. Beginning at the facilities and grounds maintenance shop, everyone who could gathered a chainsaw and started cutting their way down to Conley Ridge Road. Once there, they were able to bring out a tractor and start moving trees off the road. Working their way down the mountain, they heard another crew working their way up. They were surprised to learn that, rather than the Department of Transportation, Casara Logan, Penland’s grounds manager, her partner Pablo Soto, and a team of friends was on the other side. After a day and a half of hard labor, the roads were clear enough to allow people to get in and out. The next day, the Ledger Volunteer Fire Department came up the road with a backhoe, shoving every tree off the road. Supplies and people could now come and go. 

Once the roads were passable, a caravan of Penland and private vehicles carrying the remaining students and instructors prepared to leave the mountain, headed to Charlotte airport and from there to homes around the country. 

A photo was taken just before the caravan left and shortly after a number of community members had finally made their way up to campus to trade information and lay eyes on one another after several days of isolation.

Paula Harding, a student in the fall short session, who was among those who lived through the storm at Penland, had this to say about that moment:

This moment was a lot of emotions in one. We had all just shared our last meal together. This was the night before we were all going to start parting ways. It felt really surreal to be leaving as we spent days prior working together to cut our way out of campus. These are bonds that will never be broken. It’s incredible to see the way everyone came together, the community up there is a strong one. Every person held such compassion towards one another.

UPDATES

We are still taking stock, but we have some important updates to share:

• All Penland staff are safe and accounted for.
• All students who were sheltering during and after the storm have been able to safely leave for home.
• Our campus has been serving as a community hub, with food, satellite internet, water, and fuel for our generator. We have been doing what we can to help in the relief effort, housing relief workers and connecting people with resources as we can. 
• Members of our staff and community are working hard to restore our campus and help in our communities.
• Aid has been pouring into our area, including nearby Spruce Pine, Bakersville, Burnsville, and Celo. 
• While some phone and power services have been restored to our area, they are not universally available. Internet is not available in most areas.
• All fall programming has been canceled. 

ACCESS UPDATE

• Roads leading to campus are in hazardous condition and are subject to intermittent closure. All unnecessary travel is discouraged so as not to impede the progress of the people working to repair the road and restore services.

THANK YOU

Thank you to each and every one of you that has reached out to us— we are deeply touched by your support and feel more connected than ever. Thank you to the amazing people who have bravely faced these uncertain times and challenges with love and community. Look for more updates with their stories. There is more work to be done. Recovery will take time. Our local and craft communities have been deeply affected.

Click https://penland.org/suppo…/helene-relief-recovery-support/ for recovery resources and ways to help.