Penland twins build a lasting legacy
Nationally exhibited textile artist Edwina Bringle, left, is known for her distinct use of color (see below). Potter Cynthia Bringle, pictured with furry associate, is a recipient of the “North Carolina Living Treasure” award.
Photo by Rachel Pressley
In Penland, identical twins Cynthia and Edwina Bringle are something like local celebrities, and with good reason. At 85 years old, the bespectacled women have spent the better part of a lifetime nurturing the area’s craft community — Cynthia as a potter and Edwina as a textile artist. But each sister took a different path to the High Country.
Cynthia, the eldest twin by 30 minutes, found her creative calling early in life.
Photo by Rachel Pressley
“I always knew I was going to be an artist,” says Cynthia, who began taking art classes as a middle schooler in Memphis, Tennessee.
After high school, she enrolled in the Memphis Academy of Art, initially set on pursuing painting. But fate had other plans. Her first encounter with clay was transformative, sparking an immediate passion that she went on to explore at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine and, later, at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University.
Photo by Rachel Pressley
Edwina took a different route, studying to become a radiologic technician.
“I worked at a hospital and several clinics for about eight years,” says Edwina. “It was very people-oriented and something I was good at.”
Photo by Rachel Pressley
But in 1963, Edwina found herself in the mountains of Western North Carolina alongside Cynthia, who was assisting Bill Brown, the second director of Penland School of Craft.
Determined to stay busy, Edwina tried her hand at weaving. Something clicked. In the coming years, she returned to Penland again and again. Eventually, she left Memphis for North Carolina, heading to the Piedmont, where she spent more than two decades teaching weaving at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In 1997, Edwina headed back to the mountains and retired in Mitchell County, where she continues to share her mastery as an instructor at Penland.
“I’m known for the way I use color,” says Edwina, whose woven textiles and mixed-media stitched pieces are featured in the collections of the Gregg Museum of Art and Design at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, at The Mint Museum in Charlotte, and at the Greenville County Museum of Art in Greenville, SC.
After her first visit to Penland in 1963, Cynthia also returned year after year to help launch the school’s nascent ceramics program. In 1970, she put down permanent roots in the area, eventually earning the title of Penland’s unofficial mayor.
Photo by Rachel Pressley
Today, Cynthia is known for her one-of-a-kind porcelain bowls, stoneware pitchers, and large raku vessels. These pieces have earned her numerous accolades, including the elite North Carolina Award in Fine Arts, considered the state’s version of the Nobel Prize; an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the Memphis College of Art (the institution closed in 2020 after 84 years); and a “North Carolina Living Treasure” designation through a program administered by the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Both Edwina and Cynthia have also been honored with Life Membership by the Southern Highland Craft Guild, an organization Edwina joined in 1967 and Cynthia in 1970.
According to the Guild’s handbook, Life Membership is “awarded to active individual members in honor of outstanding service to the Guild.” Edwina and Cynthia certainly fit the bill.
Photo by Rachel Pressley
“The Bringle sisters have been instrumental in shaping the community at Penland,” says Valerie Berlage, curator of Guild exhibitions. “Teaching and residing in the mountains there, they have helped create a community of learning, exploration, and art.”
The sisters’ work is currently on display in the Main Gallery at the Folk Art Center as part of A Legacy Worth Noting, a show featuring similarly decorated members of the Guild, which was founded in 1930 and today numbers more than 800 fine crafters in a nine-state region.
“We’ve pulled a number of pieces from our permanent collection,” says Berlage. “Between past and current members, we have a scope of work covering around 70 years.”
Being a part of this legacy isn’t something the Bringle sisters take lightly.
“The Southern Highland Craft Guild represents many outstanding artists,” says Cynthia. “I am happy to be included.”
Edwina seconds this. “I’m pleased that the work I’ve done over the years is being recognized.”
Cynthia and Edwina Bringle, Penland. Both Cynthia (cynthiabringlepottery.com) and Edwina (edwinabringle.com) are represented by Bringle Gallery (160 Lucy Morgan Lane, Penland). A Legacy Worth Noting runs in the Main Gallery at the Folk Art Center (Milepost 382, Blue Ridge Parkway, southernhighlandguild.org) through Wednesday, April 30. The sisters also have work on display at Asheville Art Museum (2 South Pack Square, Asheville, ashevilleart.org) as part of Asheville Strong: Celebrating Art and Community After Hurricane Helene, a group exhibition running through Monday, May 5.