Today begins a new journey in my creative hands adventures, because today I walked away from being an Auction Volunteer at Penland School of Crafts. I love Penland with all my heart. I am who I am as an artist because of my experiences and associations with Penland. But as of today, I’m no longer an Auction Volunteer. The symbolism of my last photo taken on the porch of Northlight says more than words. Northlight in a building on the campus of Penland that will be disassembled in a few months. The first time I went to Penland in 1990 Northlight was under construction. So this photo is my last and represents so many memories I have shared on Penland Mountain. I will continue to be connected to Penland but not as an Auction Volunteer. Circumstances have caused me to walk away.
However, the energy from Standing Rock is changing me. Along with two transformative art experiences in Upper Textiles during the 5th and 7th Summer Session at Penland, I’m changing. I’m empowered to return to my ancestral NC Algonquin heritage and convicted to return to the Pau Wau Trail. I’m focused and I’m determined to honor a promise made to my dying mother and to Mat Randolph to tell our Algonquin stories of survival through dyeing cloth and stitching. It’s amazing how circumstances can change the course of our lives. I’m humbled and blessed by the manifestation of God’s Divine Mercy in my life. ‘Water Is Life’: Paddling through North Dakota’s Standing Rock Protest
Fiber Art by Carola 