The Etchings Festival , hosted by VCCA and the east Coast Contemporary Ensemble (ECCE),  is set in Auvillar, France, between Bordeaux and Toulouse. The Midi-Pyrenees region is secluded and preserved from centuries past. Concerts at the festival take place  in a 14 th   Century chapel, renovated and acoustically sublime. Participant composers meet each morning for private lessons and each afternoon for masterclasses where guests share their music and critique participant work. In the evening, the village is alive with food and wine from local vineyards. The fellows who study at Etchings come from around the world, traveling as far as Singapore and Argentina. The level of teaching is as high as any major international festival, but with the intimacy that allows for great attention and consideration to be given to each fellow. And fellows know they will receive an expert performance of their work: we rehearses each day with each fellow, resulting in stellar performances and lasting

Don't miss your chance... To share your work with the VCCA Community and regional patrons of the arts at The Commission.  The submission deadline is January 31, 2014 (next Friday!) To find out more visit The Commission page on the  VCCA site. If you have questions, email pleasants@vcca.com

VCCA in the News! The Lynchburg News & Advance covered VCCA's Open House & Studios event on January 19, 2014.  Read the full story here . The Open House was a resounding success, with upwards of 50 visitors coming through, touring the grounds, visiting studios, and enjoying scheduled readings by Fellows. Photo by Parker Michels-Boyce of the News & Advance

CALL TO VCCA FELLOWS!  We are currently accepting proposals from our Fellows for a site-specific artwork that is visually arresting and conceptually sophisticated. This installation or presentation will be the centerpiece of a fundraising event entitled, simply, The Commission . The work should create or inspire a memorable environment for guests, one that is interactive, theatrical, provocative, or ... Proposals VCCA is interested in work that activates or enhances a portion of the site of The Commission through sound, light, objects, music, words, or in some other way - surprise us! The work could be placed in another context with adaptation so it does not need to be strictly site-specific, but it must integrate in some way with the event venue. This will not be a permanent installation. Projects requiring permanent installations will not be considered. Proposals must consist of a partnership between two or more VCCA Fellows from at least two genres (visual art,