The Store and Gallery at Peters Valley

by James Weaver

Ceramics by Bruce Dehnert, Ceramics Department head at Peters Valley Craft Center.

It’s located in one of the most scenic areas of natural beauty in the Mid-Atlantic States along the portion of the Delaware River known as the Delaware Water Gap. Fortunately, much of the land on both the Pennsylvania and New Jersey sides has been preserved as park lands protecting it from development and exploitation. Designated a National Recreation Area, 25 miles of the Appalachian Trail passes through it. The park was established in 1965 and has over 200 miles of roads throughout the scenic valley and forested hills. It’s a popular recreation area for bicycling, hiking, boating and fishing.

Now in its 36th year of operation, Peters Valley Craft Center is a thriving crafts school and craft marketplace located on the New Jersey side of the park less than three hours from Philadelphia and 60 miles from New York City.

Interior of the Peters Valley Store & Gallery.

In 2005, Jimmy Clark (Director Emeritus of Philadelphia’s Clay Studio) became Peters Valley’s executive director. Clark brings nearly 20 years of arts organization leadership to his new post and is revitalizing the school’s extensive educational program.

Peters Valley is funded in part by the New Jersey State Council for the Arts and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. The non-profit organization has five permanent staff and seven faculty department heads in blacksmithing, ceramics, fiber (surface and structure), fine metals, photography, woodworking and special topics (other craft media). The 2006 summer session (17 weeks from May 20 to Sept. 11) features more course offerings for both beginners and experienced craft artists. There’s a Beginners Workshop in May and additional two- and three-day workshops in early June and September. All classes are taught by professional craft artists with many years of experience. Nearly 150 workshops in various craft media are offered each summer with more than 700 students enrolled.

Textile designer Karen Henderson has headed Peters Valley’s textile program for the past three years. “We are very fortunate to be able to attract many leading artists, from the U.S. and abroad, as teachers,” she says. “Recently, Korean textile designer Chunghie Lee and her equally talented daughter Jiyoung Chung taught classes here. Many students are attracted by the high caliber of our faculty. They want to study with people who are well-known and respected.”

An encaustic-painting student at work.

“We are trying to attract more beginning students with our shorter workshops,” Clark says, “and more experienced artists with a larger selection of classes, particularly in special media. This past summer we featured several workshops on working with glass.” Peters Valley is also offering lower cost dorm rooms and meals. “Better food, too,” Clark adds.

The school can provide living accommodations for 30 students each session. In addition, there are B&B and motel accommodations available nearby.

The Peters Valley Store & Gallery is open to the public year-round and showcases outstanding crafts by area residents, school faculty and over 300 other craft artists. Along with changing displays, eight to 10 theme exhibits are presented each year in the second floor gallery. The annual Summer Faculty Show is a favorite. A new full-time gallery manager has also been hired.

A view of the center’s Anagama kiln during firing.

A portion of the craft sales helps to support the school’s program and the gallery serves as a welcome and interpretive center. Self-guided tours of the Peters Valley craft studios are available to the public during the workshop season on Saturday and Sunday 2–5 p.m. There’s also an annual Open House held each spring with self-guided tours and a variety of craft demonstrations.

“Opportunities for artist residencies are much needed for emerging artists or for those in transition to develop, create and continue their work,” says Clark. “We’ve been fortunate in securing funding to support a series of 10 to 12 residences each year for New Jersey artists.” From January to April, artists spend one or two months at Peters Valley and receive free room and studio space and a $500 monthly stipend. The new program is funded by the New Jersey Council for the Arts, the Dodge Foundation, Pheasant Hill Foundation and private donors. In addition to craft artists, the residencies are now open to writers and painters.

There are also Summer Studio Assistantships available. Here, individuals live at Peters Village during the summer session, serve as assistants in the various studios for room and board and have an opportunity to exhibit their work.

Board President Maleyne Syracuse, an investment banker who joined the board nine years ago after taking classes here, says Peters Valley is strengthening its board and increasing its fund-raising capacity. “We are now receiving substantial support from board members and are pursuing other new funding sources. A capital campaign to upgrade and expand our facilities is being planned,” she says. “An advisory council has been made up of community leaders and prominent artists have been organized and for the first time, Peters Valley has a professional arts administrator.”

Each September, the Peters Valley Annual Craft Fair is held indoors at Sussex County Fairgrounds (now home of the New Jersey State Fair). With over 150 juried contemporary and traditional craft artists, it’s become the premier fall craft event in North Jersey. A Craft Auction held in November is a major fund-raising event for Peters Valley programs. The 2005 auction was highly successful outpacing previous years by $15,000, 40 percent over 2004. The inclusion of works by well-known artists and a well-attended preview party with a jazz concert produced positive results.

“Its close proximity to New York and Philadelphia makes Peters Valley a particularly good choice for craft artists from this area looking for a workshop experience.” Clark says. “It’s also a great place for collectors and craft enthusiasts to shop.”

Jim Weaver is a Pennsylvania-based free-lance writer.

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