Belgian-born poet, Colette Inez died in January 2018. Here at VCCA, we mourn the loss of a good friend. This award-winning poet was in residence twelve times from 1983 – 2010.   Inez with her auburn air and bucket hat was a wonderful summer presence at VCCA.   See her tribute to a VCCA hornet in her poem below. Inez was the author of eleven books of poetry and a memoir, and her work was published in over one hundred anthologies and textbooks. She collaborated with several VCCA Fellows, among them Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and VCCA Fellow David del Tredici. Inez and del Tredici produced a song cycle titled Miz Inez Sez for a CD that “may be the best new music album of the year” wrote The New Yorker . At the time of her death, she was collaborating with VCCA composer Gina Biver on a piece that is scheduled to premiere in October 2018. Among her honors were fellowships from the Guggenheim and Rockefeller Foundations, two awards from the National Endowment for th...

In 2017, VCCA lost some longtime and dear Fellows…among them, Ann Birstein, Shirley Nisbet , and Mel Rosenthal . Together they were with us for almost 50 residencies…months and months over the years, they spent time focusing on their creative work…Ann on her novels and memoir, Shirley on her paintings, Mel on his photography.  They shared their work and their lives with us, and they became part of our lives at VCCA. Their work lives on and the memory of their vibrant personalities stay with us. Ann always exhibited a dry wit and a sharp comeback that belied her kindness.  She told wonderful stories of growing up in Hells Kitchen.  She worked hard in the studio, but loved to spend the late afternoon at the VCCA pool and reveled in the rural landscape outside of her native New York. Shirley with her exuberant paintings and amazing stamina despite her physical challenges, encouraged us all with a kind word, a smile and a lilting accent. Her...