Steer wrestling, a practice credited to legendary cowboy and rodeo star Bill Pickett, usually involves leaping onto a steer from the back of a specially trained horse. At the Madison

Put ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until puffed and golden. Remove from oven, and let stand for 5 minutes. With a flexible spatula, remove strata to

A Year-Round Guide to Franklin and Nantahala

Click on the images below to see Penland artists and their work. [gallery columns="1" type="rectangular" ids="68201,68202,68203,68204,68205,68206,68207,68208,68209,68210,68211,68212,68213,68214,68215,68216,68217,68218,68219"]

Eastern

Madison County Championship Rodeo

Food

Rosemary and Goat Cheese Strata

April 2014

Scenes from Penland

Penland School of Crafts is at the heart of the thriving artistic community in the Toe River Valley. Many of the country’s best glass artists call the area home.

by Erin Reitz

Click on the images below to see Penland artists and their work.

View of the Penland campus at night. • Photo by Emily Chaplin

Irons in the fire. Rods heating in the Penland glass studio. • Photo by Emily Chaplin

Matt Urbin, an artist visiting Penland for a retreat, works on a glass dragon with the help of assistants in the glass studio. • Photo by Emily Chaplin

A group of artists pitches in to help Che Rhodes create a large glass bowl in the Penland glass studio. • Photo by Emily Chaplin

Artist Micah Evans at work. • Photo by Emily Chaplin

Micah Evans, a current resident artist at Penland, holds a piece of his artwork. • Photo by Emily Chaplin

Gary Beecham, glass artist • Photo by Emily Chaplin

Billy Bernstein works in the studio he and his wife Katie share in Celo, NC. • Photo by Emily Chaplin

Billy Bernstein in the studio • Photo by Emily Chaplin

A work by Kate Vogel and John Littleton. • Photo by Emily Chaplin

A work by Greg Fidler. • Photo by Emily Chaplin

Glass artist Pablo Soto works in his studio in Penland, NC, with the aid of assistants Courtney Dodd (left) and Amber Marshall. • Photo by Emily Chaplin

Glass artist Pablo Soto in his studio in Penland, NC. • Photo by Emily Chaplin

Rick Beck with his dog Static, in front of his series of “Mechanicals” – cast glass pieces. The yellow piece alone weighs approx. 150 lbs. • Photo by Emily Chaplin

Handmade sand-carved glass bowls by Val Beck – with designs depicting fables. • Photo by Emily Chaplin

The Toe River Arts Council gallery in Burnsville. • Photo by Emily Chaplin

Gary Beecham with one of his works, on the Penland campus. • Photo by Emily Chaplin

Editors’ Picks

Decades Series

The 1970s: The Decade of Disruption in North Carolina

Across the globe from Vietnam, effects of the war reverberate through the state, where social and political perspectives are shifting quickly and dramatically.

by Philip Gerard

History

19 Hidden Treasures at North Carolina’s Universities

These places are the stewards of some very special items: Doc Watson’s first recording, the desk Virginia Woolf used to redefine the novel, and Elisha Mitchell’s pocket watch are just some of the cherished pieces that teach us about our state’s history and the people who preserve it.

by Chloe Klingstedt

Back In The Day

There’s a 40-Year-Old Doughnut at UNC-Greensboro

No, really.

by Jeremy Markovich

Guides

14 Delicious Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants in North Carolina

From burgers to comfort food to elegant entrées, the range of plant-based dining in North Carolina is growing. Restaurants on this list are exclusively vegetarian and/or vegan.

by Katie Kane

Click on the images below to see Penland artists and their work.

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Editors’ Picks