Layers of Legacy: My Printmaking Residency with Karen J. Revis at Penland School of Craft
I spent two weeks at Penland School of Craft in the mountains of North Carolina, immersed in ink, paper, and community. The residency was led by Karen J. Revis, a member of Black Women of Print, and it became one of the most enriching creative experiences I’ve ever had.
The Spirit of Penland
Founded in the 1920s by educator Lucy Morgan, Penland began as a small weaving program designed to help women in the Appalachian region earn a living through craft. Morgan, who had studied weaving at Berea College, returned to North Carolina inspired to create a space where art and livelihood could coexist. What started as the Penland Weavers and Potters soon grew into a broader experiment in community-based craft education.
In 1929, Penland hosted its first summer workshop — often cited as the official beginning of the Penland School of Handicrafts, which later evolved into today’s Penland School of Craft. Over the decades, under visionary leaders like Bill Brown, Penland expanded from a regional weaving initiative into a nationally recognized center for art and craft education.
Today, Penland continues to thrive as a non-degree-granting craft school offering immersive workshops and residencies in disciplines like clay, glass, wood, metals, textiles, photography, printmaking, and more. Its mission is simple yet profound: to make lives meaningful through making.
Two Weeks in Print: Learning with Karen J. Revis
Under Karen J. Revis’s guidance, our class explored the possibilities of monotype and mixed-media printmaking — layering color, texture, and improvisation to uncover something unexpected each day. Karen’s teaching style balanced technical instruction with intuitive exploration. She encouraged us to trust our instincts, to embrace the accidents that happen when ink meets paper, and to see those “mistakes” as opportunities rather than flaws.
Beyond her technical expertise, Karen brought with her the energy and legacy of Black Women of Print, a collective that celebrates and uplifts the work of Black women printmakers. Hearing her speak about the collective’s mission — to connect, support, and amplify Black women in the field — was deeply inspiring. It reminded me how artistic practice can also be a form of community building, cultural preservation, and resistance.
Each print I pulled during those two weeks felt like a conversation — between me, the materials, and the generations of artists who’ve shaped the language of printmaking.
