Between Dreams and Reality: A Rare Exhibition of Bespoke Footwear at Penland Gallery

Now on display at Penland Gallery, Between Dreams and Reality is an exhibition of bespoke footwear curated by Penland instructor and award-winning shoemaker Amara Hark Weber. Weber originally created a version of the exhibition at the University of Wisconsin in Madison in spring of 2023. “It is important to note that an exhibition of bespoke footwear is a rare event in the United States,” says Penland Gallery curator Kathryn Gremley. “A number of factors contribute to the majority of handmade shoemakers working outside of contemporary craft circles, despite the artists being both highly skilled makers and creative designers. Since Penland is known for thinking outside the box, an exhibition featuring these makers and their work is well suited to our mission at the gallery.”

The show will feature both traditional and conceptual works from a variety of contemporary shoemakers, including cowboy boots, a type of footwear construction that is quite different from other shoemaking. “Shoemaking is deceptive in its complexity, and the most effortless-appearing work takes incredible effort and skill to put together,” says Weber. “This makes each piece very private in the making, while the wearing is public, a dichotomy that I find interesting.”

Running through May 25, Between Dreams and Reality will shine a light on the relatively unknown craft of shoemaking, which Weber calls “a living tradition.” Weber uses techniques she learned from her teachers, but has adapted these approaches to account for her creativity, the preferences of her clients and even the climate. “Every workshop necessarily develops its own way of doing things, which makes each place where footwear is made, and each person doing the making, singular,” she says.

The Penland Gallery & Visitors Center is located at Penland School of Craft on Conley Ridge Road in Mitchell County near Spruce Pine. For more information, visit Penland.org/gallery or call 828.765.6211.