1 of 4 Auvillar Arts Workshops at VCCA-France: Writing and Pilgrimage

Auvillar, France is a centuries-old stopping place on one of the four major routes for pilgrims on the Chemin de St. Jacques to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. It is home to beautiful, sacred spaces - such as the Church of St. Peter and the nearby ruins of the Chapel of St. Catherine on the bank of the Garonne River - as well as VCCA's beautiful studio center, Le Moulin à Nef.

Led by VCCA Fellow Lisa Schamess, author of Borrowed Light, the Writing and Pilgrimage workshop is built on the contemplative practice of walking. Participants will write together and separately discovering and sharing memories, values and spiritual touchstones. Writers of all levels of experience and physical ability are welcome. Writing and Pilgrimage takes place July 10 -17. To learn more, including information about the partial work-study scholarship, click here.

To learn about all the 2011 Auvillar Arts Workshops at Le Moulin à Nef, click here.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Guest Blogger: C.M. Mayo

Image
From Fellow C.M. Mayo : In the years of writing, researching, and revising my novel, T he Last Prince of the Mexican Empire (Unbridled Books, May 5, 2009), I enjoyed several  intensely productive stays at VCCA. A few sparkles:   In the corn crib studio: Drafting General Achille Bazaine's flashback scenes of 1850s Algeria, Arab music on the CD player, snow falling on the skylight. At dinner: Chatting with novelist Josephine Humphreys about archives and the influence of the dead. By the fireplace in the living room : Reading these same pages with Peter Behrens ,  reading from his novel then in-progress, The Law of Dream s. Eating potato chips with poets Sandra Beasley and Alfred Corn . Trying not to be embarrassed when Alfred (bless him) corrected my French pronunciation.   In Sweet Briar's Library : After checking e-mail, reading Virgil. Rectangles of autumn light falling on the old tables.   One sunny afternoon outside my studio by the barn:  Finding Peter Behrens, ...
Read more

VCCA and Sweet Briar College Enter Long-Range Planning Process

Image
After decades of informal discussions, VCCA and Sweet Briar College have decided to study the various possibilities of a permanent home for VCCA. VCCA has been leasing Mt. San Angelo from Sweet Briar since 1977. Both institutions have agreed to actively pursue a long-term solution to the current annual lease renewals. The timing is mutually beneficial in that VCCA is embarking on a new Strategic Plan, while Sweet Briar is implementing its Plan for Sustainable Excellence. The opportunities to explore include, but are not limited to, the following options: VCCA purchases the Mt. San Angelo property and remains there VCCA and SBC enter into a lease-to-purchase agreement for the Mt. San Angelo property and VCCA remains there VCCA moves to the Sweet Briar College campus VCCA moves to another non-SBC location This is a long-range planning process, one that will take place over the course of several years. VCCA Fellows, friends and supporters will be invited to share ...
Read more

Guest Blog: Christina Laurel

Image
As I ramble down the one-lane road toward Highway 29 in Amherst, Virginia, it is impossible to miss the sign "the real world" - simple lettering on a blue cloud background, perhaps painted by one of the many artists-in-residence at the  Virginia Center for the Creative Arts . This is my third artist residency  in three years , the previous two in Kentucky and Georgia; each a unique experience. How so? Here at VCCA there are an average of 30 artists-in-residence at a time; private rooms with shared bath are in a 1970s-era dormitory that also houses communal spaces and the dining room where two of three meals are served. Lunch is conveyed to a kitchen in the Normandy-style barn that has numerous studios so that fellows - as the artists-in-residence are referred to - barely need to interrupt the day's work. Each studio is outfitted with a bed for naps or overnight sleeping or creative musing. To say that I am spoiled after 10 days here is an understatement. What is co...
Read more