Penland Auction & Tour

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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 Centerfor 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 Museumof 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!

Visit to the Glass School

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L-R Gallery Owner Jane Sauer, UrbanGlass Director Fred & Susan Sanders, Judith Schaechter, Tim Tate


This weekend’s busy social calendar included the events of the James Renwick Alliance Spring Craft Weekend.

Some of the visitors to the events dropped by the glass school for a visit – including Renwick Craft Invitational 2011 artist Judith Schaecter. Judith will be back to teach a creativity workshop for the JRA, to be held at the glass school on May 21, 2011.

Also visiting were collectors Fred & Susan Sanders – who recently had their art collection featured in American Style Magazine. Fred is the President of the Metropolitan Contemporary Glass Group and is on the Board of UrbanGlass in Brooklyn. Jane Sauer, the eponymous owner of beautiful Jane Sauer Gallery in Santa Fe, NM joined the tour thru the glass school.

The events include the Benefit dinner and auctions at the Renwick Gallery’s Grand Salon. It was a great chance to rub elbows with some glass superstars.

Michael Janis and Erin Timmers enjoy drinks at the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, looking overlooking the art scene.

Erwin Timmers chatting with Lino Tagliapietra about new trends in glass.

Tim Tate & Judith Schaechter enjoy the view.

A good time was had by all!

American Style Magazine – Fred & Susan Sanders’ Collection

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The latest edition – Issue #74 – of American Style Magazine is soon to hit the newstands (subscriber issues are already out!).
In the winter issue is a great story by Lee Lawrence about the amazing collection of Fred & Susan Sanders of Brooklyn, New York.

Both Fred & Sue Sanders have had a lifelong love of the arts, and Fred is the President of the Metropolitan Contemporary Glass Group and is on the Board of UrbanGlass in Brooklyn.

The article – written by Lee Lawrence & with photos by Stacy Bass – focuses on the exuberant and diverse collection of the Sanders and gives a great insight into the background of the collectors and how that informs the selection of the works that they live surround by.
Within their large collection are works by WGS artists Tim Tate and Michael Janis, and the magazine article gives a nod to some of those pieces.

A great view of a fantastic collection and of the Sanders beautiful New York place.


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