Penland School Hosts a Record-Breaking Auction

September 14, 2011

The Penland School of Crafts 26th Annual Benefit Auction was a record-breaker, with the highest attendance, the highest total income, and the highest net income in the event’s history. Held on August 12 and 13, 2011 at Penland’s western North Carolina campus, the auction drew a total income of $614,405, for a net income of approximately $456,405. This year’s Fund-A-Need, which invites patrons to make direct contributions to a particular project, raised $84,100 for a new house for Penland’s core fellows. This project is in the design phase and the school is actively raising funds for its construction.

The auction was attended by 612 patrons and artists. One hundred and ninety-nine volunteers worked with Penland’s staff to run the event. Two hundred and fifty-six current and former Penland instructors, resident artists, and core fellows contributed a total of 247 works in books, clay, drawing, glass, iron, metals, painting, paper, photography, printmaking, textiles, wood, and mixed media.

The top selling pieces in the auction were “Islas” by ceramic sculptor Cristina Cordova, which sold for $30,000; “The Four Seasons” by glass/video artist Tim Tate, which sold for $25,000, and “Two Objects” by glass sculptor Daniel Clayman, which sold for $13,000.

Fred Fenster, metalsmith and professor emeritus from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was honored during the weekend as Penland’s 2011 Outstanding Artist Educator. Fred also led an excellent metals workshop for Penland donors on Friday afternoon. Penland’s gallery director Kathryn Gremley and Mark Leach, the director of the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, along with several contributing artists presented a gallery talk previewing a number of the auction pieces.

Penland’s resident artists welcomed patrons to their studios on Saturday morning for the ever-popular Coffee at the Barns event. Former Penland core fellow Brian McGee, along with his band, provided musical entertainment on Friday afternoon and evening. Just before the live auction on Saturday, hip hop poet Pierce Freelon delivered an outstanding performance of four short pieces inspired by a visit he made to Penland earlier this year.

The board and staff of Penland School thank everyone who came together to make our largest fundraising event of the year such a great success.

A slide show from the event is available here.

A slide show of all of the donated work is available here.

Penland School of Crafts is a national center for craft education dedicated to helping people live creative lives. Located in Western North Carolina, Penland offers workshops in books and paper, clay, drawing and painting, glass, iron, metals, printmaking and letterpress, photography, textiles, and wood. The school also sponsors artists’ residencies, an outreach program, and a gallery and visitors center. Penland is a nonprofit, tax-exempt institution which receives support 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.