Studio 107 artist receives scholarship to Penland School of Craft

Studio 107 artist Betty Blessin of Fiber Art Musings has been selected to receive a studio assistant scholarship at Penland School of Crafts in Bakersville, North Carolina. The scholarship will allow Betty to participate in a one-week fiber arts class held this summer at the school.

Penland's studio assistants are students who work for Penland assisting instructors and fellow students. They are responsible for maintaining the school's standards for studio operation. Assistants are selected based on their knowledge of a working studio.

Betty will be assisting fiber artist Mary Hettmansperger during the class, Metal Applications for Quilting and Surface Design. The course will cover the addition of metal to art quilts to create dimension, interest, texture and imagery. Students will learn a variety of low-tech metalsmithing techniques to achieve interesting surfaces. In addition to assisting with the class, Betty will participate in eight hours of studio time per day on days preceding and following the class.

A life-long fiber artist, Betty learned to sew in 4-H. She later expanded her skill base to knitting and quilting. Betty works out of Studio 107 in Uptown Martinsville, where she designs quilts, scarves and wall hangings. She is president of the Virginia Foothills Quilters Guild (VFQG), which meet twice per month at Piedmont Arts. The VFQG hosts programs on quilting techniques and creates "outreach quilts" for Memorial Hospital and other locations to comfort those in need.

Penland School of Crafts is a national center for craft education dedicated to helping people live creative lives. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Penland offers one-, two- and eight-week workshops in a variety of subjects, as well as artists' residencies, community collaboration programs and a gallery and information center.