Anyone heard of Penland Craft School?

Hi everyone! I'm considering making a big transition in my life right now, and I need some advice about this one particular option I'm looking into. As of this summer session (at school) I'm finally doing well in a course, but it's only because it is an all-essay class with a very good professor. Typically, I get D's and F's at my school... and usually it's because I have troubles taking those "scantron" tests with the little lines and the bubbles... I'm sure a good many of you know what I'm talking about. I won't get into too much detail, but I have issues reading sideways lines and then transferring information from one page to another... then progressing in a "downwards" motion. I try turning the test, checking my work, but somehow I nearly always screw up, have to go back over the whole test, and then I run out of time. Scantron has royally fucked my college career.

Anyways, with my grades sucking like a nympho at a bus station, and also due to the fact that I'm losing $28,000 a year (yes, this IS the total AFTER my scholarships chip in to help!), I've decided that maybe college isn't the answer to getting what I want out of life. I've been there for almost 4 years... I haven't seen anything worthwhile come out of the school other than a few good concerts, and I've also become quite the miserable slave to the books/computer during my stay in hell. So, with all that said, I've been thinking about a whole range of options, but my mom actually came up with the best one I've ever heard of. She said "Hey, why don't you look into going to a craft school or maybe even learning a trade?"

Well, I've ALWAYS wanted to learn how to blow glass ever since she worked in a glass gallery in Atlanta (Vesperman's... check it out sometime if you're ever down there!), not to mention that I've also always wanted to learn how to do metal-work. I love using fire to make stuff, and even as a kid I would temper my tools, machetes, knives... whatever I could find! I also used to "weld" army men into other plastic toys and household wares... I called it art, but my mom called it "grounded." Well, now I'm bigger than her, and I'm also a little older, so I kinda get to play around with stuff a little more than back then, but now we live in the "city" and I can't build enormous fires and kilns out in my backyard anymore. Besides... I need to LEARN how to weld and blow glass instead of just try to figure it out on my own like I do with everything else. This is why my mom and I both are looking into Penland Craft School in Penland, NC. What I want to know is: Have any of you guys ever heard of this place/been there/know someone who has been there?

Have any of you guys been anywhere similar to this place that also has workshops and classes that go on for more than just one week or weekend (like John C. Campbell... too short for me)?

Do any of you guys know how much I would need to set aside for this place ummm... money-wise?

And finally, do any of you guys know where I could get ahold of the materials I'll need to get into either or both glass blowing and welding? If so, what would be a ballpark estimate concerning the price of the materials and so on?

I would love to hear some stuff on this place, and I would be eternally grateful for whatever help you guys can provide in helping me find my "next move" in life. Anyways, I gotta pack up and get ready for these last two weeks of college... Peace!
-Mac

 

Never heard of it sorry being in a different country, but you've inspired me to take a dressmaking course in September through community education. Thank you!

 

I don't know much about the school, but I looked at the website for Penland School of Arts and Crafts after reading about it on Creative Chick's blog. She's taken some classes there, so you might try asking her some questions about the school.

Good luck.

 

The muse tickles our special spots in mysterious ways at times...

 

Yeah... so Penland is $8k for one 6-8 week course... Georgia Southwestern State University has everything I wanted and then some... so perhaps a transfer is in order...

 

salem community college has classes you might want to look into if you don't mind moving. I hear really great things about the program.

http://www.salemcc.org/glass/index.htm

I have been thinking about taking some classes too.

 

that place sounds pretty cool! I'd make the move if i could, but there's a really good school down in South GA that offers both glass blowing and metal working, which is pretty much the combo I'm looking for... besides.. it'll be $4000 a semester instead of the $28k I'm paying out of my own pockets now! That's just for the tuition... and scholarships.... well, they kinda went "poof" on me after that first semester here. If you're wanting to do some glass work, maybe Georgia Southwestern would be another place you might wanna look... Nice dog in your gallery, by the way!

 

a friend of mine from college did a pottery class at penland over like spring break or something and she loved it. she was a good artist beforehand but after she came back her work was really incredible. she had nothing but good things to say about it.

i looked at the website and noticed that one of the teachers there, peg gineaux is teaching fibers class and she taught classes at my university during winter term and was really an incredible artist, so that might be useful, even though you dont want to do fibers...

i think you can pay for classes and not have to be "enrolled" necessarily, as in a typical college, where you live in a dorm, etc. and like i said, she took a class over spring break so maybe you could do something like that and get a feel for everything.

i'm a painter, and only have a little experience with welding and glassblowing so i really don't know what it would cost to get into those areas, but i can imagine expensive...i think you should find a local artist that works in one or both of those mediums and apprentice with them. a lot of artists would probably be thrilled to have a mentee and be able to pass their craft along to someone else, and have someone to get them coffee. you probably wouldn't get paid for it, but it would provide tons of information and experience

hope this helps and good luck!

 

it looks like a good school from what i have read, i bet the surroundings are beautiful too since it is in a great location =) didnt see anything on the site bout tuition tho!