Wednesday Cider

October 12, 2022
Welcome to the October 2022 edition of VCCA's monthly newsletter focused on keeping Fellows, staff, and supporters connected. Fall is well underway! In the spirit of the season, our "Wednesday Lemonade" newsletter has donned its "Wednesday Cider" costume.

Autumn is a lovely time to experience VCCA's home in the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. We invite members of the local community to visit us at Mt. San Angelo later this month for two public events — Fall Volunteer Day and Fall Open Studios. And we invite writers, visual artists, and composers from around the world to apply for next year's fall residency season at Mt. San Angelo.

The end of October brings the deadline for interested Fellows to submit a self-nomination to join the Fellows Council. Two info sessions remain for those who want to learn more.

Looking back on September, we recap fantastic events in New York City and our home away from home in Auvillar, France. And, as usual, we have good news from Fellows to pass along. Thanks for reading.
Photo by Paige Critcher ☁ 
now accepting applications
Fall 2023 Residencies and Fellowships at Mt. San Angelo
January 15, 2023, is our application deadline for Fall 2023 residencies at Mt. San Angelo in Virginia. Residencies of varying lengths with flexible scheduling are available from September through December of 2023.

Included in the Fall 2023 application are a variety of fully-funded fellowships made possible by generous supporters. Be sure to check your eligibility and to share the word with others who could benefit.
50th Anniversary Fellowships for artists of color who are new to VCCA.
Alonzo Davis Fellowship for American writers, visual artists, and composers of African or Latin American descent.
NEW! Alison Lurie Memorial Fellowship for female-identifying fiction writers.
Sara Pennypacker Fellowship for visual artists creating substantive work for children.
Steven Petrow LGBTQâș Fellowship for writers in any genre who self-identify as LGBTQâș.
Marian Treger Fellowship for female-identifying fiction writers, screenwriters, or visual artists, emerging in mid-life and beyond, whose creative paths may have been detoured or hindered by chronic health conditions or disabilities.
october events and deadlines
VCCA Salon at Sweet Briar

Tonight at Sweet Briar College! Two VCCA Fellows — author Pedro Ponce and visual artist Christina Kirchinger — will present their work to the community.

Date: Wednesday, October 12, 2022
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Reahard Gallery, Cochran Library, Sweet Briar College
Fall-unteer at VCCA

We're looking for volunteers to join us for some light yard work at Mt. San Angelo later this month. Please sign up by this Tuesday, October 18. Lunch will be provided!

Date: Saturday, October 22, 2022
Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: VCCA @ Mt. San Angelo
154 San Angelo Dr, Amherst, VA
Fall Open Studios

You're invited to visit the studios of working artists at Mt. San Angelo during our last public Open Studios event of 2022!

Date: Sunday, October 23, 2022
Time: 4 to 6 p.m.
Location: VCCA @ Mt. San Angelo
154 San Angelo Dr, Amherst, VA

This is a beautiful time to explore outdoor art around the grounds and, of course, a wonderful opportunity to peek inside studios and see artists at work.
Participating Fellows (from top left to bottom right): José A. Alcåntara, Carol Barsha, Robert Elhai, Douglas Geers, Carola Gruber, Lotta Helleberg, Christina Kirchinger, Philipp Ortmeier, Heloisa Pomfret, and James Robert Southard.
recent vcca gatherings
VCCA France Assemblée Générale

The annual meeting of the VCCA France Association took place on September 30 in Auvillar, France. After a business meeting at Le Moulin Ă  Nef led by VCCA France President Elizabeth Logan Harris, there was a lovely gathering by the Garonne River, complete with accordion music, dancing, and fabulous food. Staff from Virginia made the trip and loved every second of the opportunity to experience the charm of the village and the warmth of the community surrounding VCCA's artist residency program abroad.
Good Views and Good Company at 2022 NYC Reunion

It was wonderful to see Fellows and friends in the heart of Chelsea's Arts District in September! Many thanks to all who gathered for VCCA's annual reunion in New York City, with special thanks to VCCA Fellows Council member and visual artist SoHyun Bae for organizing a fantastic event in a lovely space — the penthouse of the West Chelsea Art Building delivered the views and the VCCA community delivered the company!
deadline: october 31
Join the Fellows Council
Fellows who share a commitment to VCCA are invited to consider serving on the Fellows Council, an advisory group made up of writers, visual artists, and composers who have attended VCCA.

Current Fellows Council members are hosting open info session via Zoom — two sessions remain before the October 31 self-nomination deadline!
fellow messages
ï»żFellows, share your news. This is a way to tell the VCCA community about your work. We're always especially interested in stories about work created in connection to your VCCA residency.
Maria James-Thiaw
"Everything I've created since my experience at VCCA-France is seasoned by what I learned there. My imagery is more vivid, my worldview has expanded and I have even more inspirational ideas to choose from! This month I celebrate the release of my collection of poetry, entitled Count Each Breath. This collection was written in 2020 and highlights my experiences as a black woman with chronic illness during the first months of the pandemic. The word apocalypse means 'unveiling,' and this book unveils the impact healthcare disparities and systematic racism has on women of color and their families. In fact, anyone who has been dismissed, ignored, or accused by a healthcare provider will relate to these verses."

Immy Humes
"In 2019 I was at VCCA working on a documentary film — but also benefiting from showing some of the artists the seeds of a book. Now I have my first book, The Only Woman (Phaidon)! It's a collection of 100 archival photos of group portraits of men all with a single woman among them. I am so grateful to VCCA for the invaluable gift of time and brilliant beloved company."

Catherine Gammon
"So happy to let everyone know that my forthcoming novel The Martyrs, The Lovers is now available for pre-ordering — and with many thanks to VCCA where some of its chapters were written long long ago — in particular, a scene on a country road at night with cows that owes its life to those lovely hills."

Jonathan Newmark
"Four scenes from my chamber opera Haber’s Law received their concert premiere at the Operation Opera festival at Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington, in June 2022, performed by the Four Corners Ensemble and conductor Glen Adsit. This work tells the true story of Fritz Haber, Nobel Prize-winning scientist and inventor of chemical warfare, and his pacifist wife, Clara Immerwahr Haber, first German female PhD, who opposed his activities. It includes probably the only setting of an actual Nobel Prize speech to music. I completed the piano-vocal score of the opera during my VCCA residency in December 2021. Jonathan Newmark, MD, MM, COL (ret.), MC, USA Burke, Virginia"

Barbara de la Cuesta
Barbara de la Cuesta's recently published novel, My Name is Henrietta Rose, was a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Books Awards.

Books by VCCA Fellows
Browse VCCA's page on Bookshop.org to find new books written by VCCA Fellows.
VCCA Fellows: To tell VCCA about your forthcoming books, send us your news.
🧡 Stay safe, and be well.
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