A new housing unit for the two-year Core Fellowship program will provide housing for 10 core fellows plus one guest room. The Core House will include private bedrooms with shared bathrooms, kitchen, dining, and living spaces. The house will be located for relative privacy from the central core campus but with easy access to the Ridgeway Core Fellows studio and to the community of year-round Resident Artists. Construction of this new structure will allow us to rehabilitate historic Morgan Hall back to 5-6 bedrooms for other student, instructor and guest purposes. Throughout the life of the program Core students have lived in Heaven’s Above and many other houses on campus.

The Penland Core Fellowship Program offers emerging artists the opportunity to explore artistic interests and career possibilities in a supportive creative community. The program takes advantage of Penland's ever-changing, interdisciplinary learning environment and encourages students to develop their studio work while studying with the leading artists in their media. Unlike a residency, this fellowship is designed around Penland's total immersion workshop experience. Students fully participate in classes throughout spring, summer, and fall—at the same time juggling part-time, service-related jobs at the school. This unique program is a bridge between undergraduate and graduate studies, offers a self-motivated alternative to academic programs, or prepares students to move directly into a professional career as an artist/craftsperson. In culmination of a season of study, core students participate in the annual Core Show, a group exhibition of work completed throughout the year. Core students are employees of the school with compensation consisting of a modest stipend, room, board, and tuition.