SC State student assists mentor with summer screen printing and ceramics workshop at prestigious craft school
ORANGEBURG, S.C. – When Ashley Greene arrived at the Penland School of Craft in North Carolina last summer to assist with a workshop, she wasn’t sure she would fit in with the other artists on hand.
But the South Carolina State University senior soon realized she could hold her own.
“My time at the Penland School of Craft was an invaluable and eye-opening experience,” Greene said. “It was a critical period of artistic growth, where I was surrounded by incredibly talented artists whose skills and creativity pushed me to challenge myself.
“Initially, I felt out of place, thinking my art wasn’t as good as others, but being in that environment forced me to reevaluate my standards and see what it truly takes to excel as an artist,” she said.
As a senior majoring in studio art with a concentration in ceramics and sculpture, Greene was afforded the studio assistantship at Penland by Alexander Thierry, an SC State associate professor in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts. Thierry taught the Penland workshop in screen printing and soda kiln firing and selected Greene to assist since she had previously fired SC State’s soda kiln with him.
At Penland, she helped Thierry in all aspects of the workshop and fully participated in the workshop, too. Greene learned screen printing, transferring and other making processes while assisting other students in the workshop with the techniques and firing kilns.
“Experiences like this are highly sought after, providing the opportunity to learn how to work in a studio in a different creative atmosphere,” Thierry said.
Penland School of Craft was founded in 1929 and is a national center for craft education with workshops and other artistic opportunities in books and paper, clay, drawing, glass, iron, metals, photography, printmaking and letterpress, textiles, and wood. Penland offers a fully residential experience for all types and levels of artists and makers.
It was time well spent for Greene as she entered her final coursework at SC State.
“The experience wasn’t just about honing my craft but also about embracing the entire community atmosphere,” she said. “Sharing great meals at the Pines dining hall fostered connections, while attending artist talks offered incredible insights into their journeys, motivations, and techniques. Being hands-on with the studio — cleaning and prepping everything for the class — made me appreciate the discipline and hard work of maintaining a creative space.
“In short, Penland was a significant learning opportunity that gave me the push I needed to grow as an artist, and it ultimately strengthened my commitment to pursuing a career in ceramics. It was the challenge I didn’t know I needed,” Greene said.
The Department of Visual and Performing Arts is a unit in the SC State College of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences. For more information, contact Dr. Tolulope Filani, department chair, at tfilani@scsu.edu or 803-536-7101. You can reach Thierry at athierry@scsu.edu.
