History

Dr. Charles L. Spohn, former Dean of the School of Fine Arts, is credited with the concept and creation of CraftSummer. He recognized the need to offer a more imaginative summer school curriculum directed by the Department of Art. Dean Spohn, Peter Dahoda and Harold Truax, Professors of Art, and Bob Sherman, Office of Continuing Education, traveled to Penland in North Carolina and Arrowmont in Gatlinburg, Tennessee to determine their administrative and academic strengths.

Reinforced with the information obtained from visiting these schools, the Dean appointed a committee consisting of professors Derwin Edwards, Helen Worrell and Peter Dahoda to direct the content of the program. From such deliberations, the framework for the present-day five-week program was born.

CraftSummer began in 1976, offering 13 workshops in ceramics, metals, and fibers. Through the years, well established national art professionals, often university professors, have been recruited to teach workshops. We currently offer 30 workshops in a variety of disciplines and have attracted participants from 38 states, New Zealand, England, and Germany.