A Transformative Experience

The Semester at Penland program is a partnership with the Penland School of Craft to provide a transformational educational experience to Appalachian State students. Offered once a year, this unique program combines Appalachian State coursework with seven weeks of Studio workshops at Penland.

Give to Semester at Penland, our newest program, to ensure all students at Appalachian can participate, regardless of resources.

Students travel together in Western North Carolina for two weeks to visit with artists in their studios, curators in their galleries, museums and non-profit spaces, and collectors in their homes. After experiencing the regional art scene first hand, they spend seven weeks working intensively in one of Penland’s stellar studios with a master artist or craftsperson, gaining expertise in their field and developing the rigor and self-reliance required for their future professions. For the full semester, they participate in a cross-disciplinary seminar, building a depth of knowledge by writing about these experiences and connecting them to their studies at Appalachian.

This experiential program allows the Art Department another avenue to demonstrate our commitment to making as a core practice in our program. Students have the opportunity to understand this practice from a vantage point outside the traditional university structure, and to bring that knowledge, skill, and work ethic back to the department.

If you’d like to learn more about this program, please contact program director IlaSahai Prouty, Associate Professor of Art.

Donations to this program go directly toward reducing the cost to students.

Make an online gift, send a check, or set up a payroll deduction, being sure to include “Semester at Penland Fund” in the designation or in the check memo line.

And Thank You!