Whether your residency runs for a week or a month, VCCA wants your time spent in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains to move your creative work forward. Between time in your studio, relaxing in the Fellows Residence, or refueling at meals, we believe you will find a supportive and dynamic experience at VCCA.
Studios
Where your work lives.
One thing my residency at VCCA taught me was that I was caring too much about what I was making and I just needed to relax and make work. And not care so much. My studio space was so relaxing and spacious with a wonderful view I was able to complete 30 pieces of artwork on paper in 20 days.
– Jonah Elijah, visual artist, pictured above in studio VA5, September 2021
Our studios are simple, comfortable spaces that inspire the creative process. Writing studios have a desk and chairs. Visual art studios include a sink and tables, and easels are available by request. Composer studios feature a desk, chairs, and piano. We have three baby grand pianos: a Yamaha Disklavier; a Kawaii; and a Knabe. Most studios are located in a renovated 1930s Normandy-style barn, which has newly upgraded WiFi and is heated and air-conditioned with individual thermostats in each studio. The Studio Barn and Fellows Residence are a five-minute walk along a natural, tranquil trail from each other.
VCCA cannot guarantee specific studio requests. All buildings are smoke-free.
Meals
Food that fuels.
VCCA is proud to partner with Meriwether Godsey to serve Fellows three prepared meals each day. Meriwether Godsey focuses on fresh, local ingredients and customized menus for people with special dietary needs.
The new facilities are the best. The food upgrade was especially sweet — I ate a lot and I lost weight because the food was not only delicious but there were lots of excellent nutritious choices.
– Vienna Carroll, singer, playwright, historian, August 2021
Housing
Space to rest and relax.
The Fellows Residence features private bedrooms, a communal dining room, recently upgraded WiFi, a library, laundry facilities, recreation rooms, and inviting patios. Each bedroom has a private en-suite bath and sliding glass doors that open onto vistas of rolling pastures backed by the Blue Ridge Mountains. The living room features a large fireplace and grand piano, while an adjoining room has a large smart TV with many streaming options. The library contains an extensive collection of books and journals, in addition to a variety of audio equipment. The smoke-free Residence is heated and air-conditioned with individual thermostats in every bedroom.
VCCA this winter was an island of warmth and artistic companionship. We’d arrived from all directions under the looming clouds of the returning virus, pre-selected, somehow, for congeniality and quirky integrity, and found ourselves in an atmosphere of mutual appreciation around the evening fireplace. So many seemingly small interactions there nurtured our daily work in solitude. What a treasured time.
– Rebecca Kaiser Gibson, writer, December 2021
Residency
Preparing for your residency.
Reading the VCCA Fellows Handbook is a good place to start planning for your residency. It is also a good idea to review the FAQs about VCCA residencies.