BOONE, N.C. — What happens when students leave the traditional classroom and step into the world of working artists, professional studios and intensive creative practice? For dozens of Appalachian State University art students, the answer lies in the university’s Semester at Penland program.

Now in its fifth year, the innovative partnership between App State and the renowned Penland School of Craft, located in Mitchell County, provides a semesterlong study away experience that introduces students to the creative, professional and personal realities of life as an artist. Through direct studio experiences and connections with practicing artists, students gain perspectives and skills they can carry into their future careers.

“At its heart, Semester at Penland is designed to integrate intensive studio time with a rigorous writing practice and visits to artists in their studios,” said Department of Art professor IlaSahai Prouty, who founded and directs the program. “We empower our students not only to find their voice but to understand the profound impact their work can have personally, socially and within the broader field of contemporary craft.”

While several universities across the country sponsor students to attend short-term workshops at craft schools, App State’s Penland program is unique in higher education, according to Prouty, as it embeds the craft school experience directly into a comprehensive, 15-credit academic curriculum — an experience designed to bridge the gap between academic study and professional artistic practice.

Since the program’s launch, the Department of Art has raised nearly $500,000 to support student participation, helping ensure the experience remains accessible to App State students regardless of financial background.

“Our mission is to ensure this program remains accessible to all App State students,” Prouty said. “The generosity of our supporters helps dramatically reduce the cost of participation and makes this opportunity possible for students who otherwise might never experience it.”

Many students arrive at Penland having never worked in a studio setting outside of a classroom environment, explained Prouty.

The semester begins with a two-week tour of private studios, galleries, collections and creative businesses throughout Western North Carolina, followed by seven weeks of intensive studio workshops at Penland, where students learn alongside practicing artists and craftspeople. The experience includes a semesterlong seminar alongside integrative programming that help students reflect on their work and consider their next steps as artists.

Creating artists and professionals

Five years later, the program’s impact is clear.

Semester at Penland alumni have secured artist residencies, participated in exhibitions, worked as studio assistants and interns for artists they met through the program and placed work in notable collections, including App State’s Permanent Collection. Others have returned to Penland as students, studio assistants and emerging professionals, continuing the cycle of learning and mentorship that defines the craft community.

Just as important, many participants return to App State with renewed confidence, expanded creative vision and a stronger sense of purpose, Prouty shared.

Among the program’s alumni who are putting their Penland experience into practice:

• Carley Roark ’24: A graduate of App State’s Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in art education (K–12) program, Roark serves as an art teacher for Mitchell County Schools and was recognized as the school system’s 2025 Beginning Teacher of the Year.
• Matthew Billek ’25: Having first studied glassblowing during his Semester at Penland, Billek now works as a traveling instructor at Ikonic Glass, a mobile glassblowing studio based in Chicago. Billek holds a BFA in studio art from App State.
• Elissa Paula ’24: After graduating from App State with a BFA in studio art, Paula worked as a studio technician for Stoke Hole Pottery in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and is now pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in ceramics at Clemson University. Her work has been featured in several exhibitions, including “Keystone Kiln Wars: Homecoming” and “RE: WEY HALL,” the inaugural exhibition of App State’s Cathy P. Walling Student Art Gallery, which showcased works by Department of Art alumni.
• Logan Irving ’26: Selected as the 2026–2027 Visions Intern at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Irving is gaining hands-on experience in arts administration and youth arts education, with a focus on Appalachian arts and crafts. She earned her App State BFA in art education (K–12) this spring.

Life-changing experiences

For many participants, the impact of Semester at Penland extends far beyond artistic skill development.

“My time at Penland, though brief, was the most magical experience of my life,” said junior studio art major Frankie Mancuso, a member of the 2024 cohort. “I learned so much in those few weeks, not only about the art I was focusing on but about what it means to be an artist, how to make a living, how to collaborate with all kinds of people and, most importantly, how to make a life as an artist.”

Mancuso, of Boone, described the experience as transformative, helping them become “a far more capable, far more driven person” while opening new possibilities for their future.

For App State studio art alumna Chandler Ivey ’25, who participated in the Penland program in 2023, the experience provided clarity about the direction of both an artistic and professional life.

The experience ultimately helped guide Ivey toward pursuing graduate studies in clinical mental health counseling with plans to become an art therapist.

“I wouldn’t have the friends I have now, nor the same connection to craft and the arts in Appalachia, without this experience,” Ivey said. “The experience was transformative, and I truly wish every art student had access to an opportunity like this.”

A vision rooted in experience

Prouty’s connection to Penland stretches back decades to her own experiences as a work-study student, Core Fellow and resident artist. Today, she serves as a trustee of the Penland School of Craft, bringing a deep understanding of both the institution and the formative role it can play in a young artist’s life.

Drawing on those experiences, she built Semester at Penland from the ground up with a simple but ambitious goal: making the life-changing opportunities available at Penland accessible to students at a public university.

A multiyear grant from the Windgate Foundation, a private foundation supporting craft and visual arts education in the U.S., provides significant support for the program’s future, while individual donors and family foundations continue to play a critical role in sustaining student access.

Semester at Penland

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.

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Department of Art

One of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Department of Art at Appalachian State University prepares students to explore art, identity, expression and creative problem-solving while challenging them to go beyond their previous limits by discovering new connections to culture. The department offers degrees in art and visual culture, art education, graphic design, studio art, commercial photography and graphic communications management, with minors in art history, studio art, commercial photography and graphic arts and imaging technology.

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College of Fine and Applied Arts

The College of Fine and Applied Arts (CFAA) at Appalachian State University implements a student-first and transdisciplinary approach to learning combined with a steadfast belief in the power of experiential learning. This pedagogy helps create an interwoven network of scholars and practitioners collectively dedicated to addressing the salient issues that underpin the anchor mission.

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About the Department of Art

One of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Department of Art at Appalachian State University prepares students to explore art, identity, expression and creative problem-solving while challenging them to go beyond their previous limits by discovering new connections to culture. The department offers degrees in art and visual culture, art education, graphic design, studio art, photography and graphic communications management, with minors in art history, studio art, photography and graphic communications management. Learn more at https://art.appstate.edu.

About the College of Fine and Applied Arts

Appalachian State University’s College of Fine and Applied Arts is a dynamic and innovative group of seven academic departments, bringing together a variety of perspectives, experiences and real-world education to provide unique opportunities for student success. The college has more than 3,100 undergraduate and graduate majors. Its departments are Applied Design, Art, Communication, Military Science and Leadership, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, and Theatre and Dance. Learn more about App State’s College of Fine and Applied Arts at https://cfaa.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.