INFORMATION FOR ACCEPTED FELLOWS
What to expect
You'll find a working environment far from the distractions of every day life. With three meals prepared for you every day, you'll experience large blocks of time where you can concentrate on your work. Many artists find the solitude and the privacy afforded at the VCCA liberating, and produce some of their best work here. Others are inspired by their colleagues with whom they share breakfast and dinners in a common dining hall. The information provided below will be helpful to you as your prepare for your residency at Mt. San Angelo. If you have other questions about our facilities or policies before you arrive, please do not hesitate to contact us at vcca@vcca.com or call us at (434) 946-7236. We will be happy to help you. The office is open Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. EST. Your mailing address and phone number while in residence: 154 San Angelo Drive, Amherst, Virginia 24521; Phone: 434-946-9960 (This is a pay phone in the Fellows' Residence). Most Fellows plan to receive phone calls around dinner time, 6 to 7 p.m. Fax: 434-946-7239. Arrival: If you would like help moving into your room or studio the day you arrive, please be here by 2:00 p.m.; our grounds crew leaves at 3:00 p.m. If you arrive on a weekend, there are no staff members on duty to assist you. You may park and unload at the Residence and at your studio. Long-term parking is in the lot on the edge of the property facing the highway. If you will be arriving in inclement weather please use the back entrance to the property. Click here for inclement weather directions. Departure: Please vacate your bedroom by 11:00 a.m. on your departure date, so that the room can be prepared for the next occupant. You may stay in your studio as late as you would like on that day. Studios: Each Fellow is assigned a private bedroom with a semi-private bath in the Fellows Residence and a private studio in the studio barn complex, a 5-minute walk away. Writers' studios have a desk and chairs. (Please remember to bring a surge protector). Visual artists' studios have a sink and tables. Easels may be requested. Composers' studios have a desk, chairs and a piano. No other equipment is provided. The Fellows Residence and the studio barn complex are heated and air-conditioned. Due to the complexity of scheduling over 300 Fellows per year, specific studio requests cannot always be honored. Thank you for understanding. Meals: The VCCA serves well-balanced meals but cannot accommodate persons on special diets. There are four small kitchens where residents may keep small quantities of food and do minimal cooking. There is a vegetarian option at every meal. While we will attempt to do all that is necessary to ensure your comfort during your residency, we ask that you do not make unreasonable demands or special requests of the kitchen and household staff. Supplies: The VCCA does not provide writing or visual art supplies. The Art Box in Lynchburg carries professional grade art products (car required) and the Sweet Briar Book Shop is modestly stocked. Fellows are encouraged to bring any materials they will need or have them shipped ahead from a supplier, unless they are available locally. Writers are encouraged to bring dictionaries and surge protectors. Visual artists are encouraged to use odor-free turpenoid paint-thinners or, preferably, non-toxic paint-thinners. You may also want to bring plastic sheeting or drop cloths to eliminate the need for repainting your walls prior to your departure. Supplies may be shipped one week in advance of arrival to 154 San Angelo Drive, Amherst, VA 24521, to your attention. Please be considerate of staff members who must transport your boxes. Pack your materials in boxes of a manageable size and weight. Your shipment will be held for your arrival. The VCCA does not loan computers, printers, or typewriters. There are no computer rental businesses in this area. E-mail: There are three ways to access the internet on the VCCA grounds. At the studio barn there is a phone line hook-up available for laptops in the main kitchen and a high-speed wireless access point on the west side of the studio barn. There is also a computer in the Fellows' Residence library that has a high-speed internet connection as well as another wireless access area. You may check web-based e-mail at these locations. Access to the web is also available through the Sweet Briar College computer labs as availability permits. The VCCA and Sweet Briar College both have Mac based computer systems. There is a PC lab on the Sweet Briar campus in the main library. Clothing: You should bring clothing for informal country living and occasional parties. Rainwear, including all-weather shoes (and boots during the winter) are needed throughout the year. July and August are usually hot. September and early October are often warm (70°-85° F, 24°-33° C), but nights may be considerably cooler (40°-50° F, 5°-11° C). Since it can be cold in late fall and winter (November through February), you should bring warm clothes. Spring weather usually begins by mid-March. You should bring a flashlight for late-night walks to and from the studio barn. Laundry and Linens: The VCCA supplies clean towels and bed linens each week. If you plan to swim, you should bring extra towels of your own. Coin-operated laundry machines are provided for personal items. Smoking: Both the barn and the Fellows' Residence are smoke-free buildings. Security: All studios and bedrooms have locks, but the VCCA does not carry insurance on Fellows' personal property. We urge you to have such coverage if you feel you need it, as well as adequate health insurance. Guests/Pets: The VCCA cannot accommodate guests overnight and rarely at meals. Except for service animals, pets are not permitted at the VCCA. Recreation: Free concerts, films, plays, and lectures are offered at Sweet Briar College during the school year. Fellows may use the tennis courts, lake, trails and indoor pool at the college, and have full borrowing privileges of books at the Sweet Briar Library. The VCCA has its own library, walking trails, outdoor pool, video cassette recorder (VCR), digital video disk player (DVD) and ping pong table. Shopping: Twice a week the VCCA van takes Fellows to a nearby shopping center and the Sweet Briar campus for personal purchases. Money: There is are ATM machines located on the Sweet Briar campus and in the town of Amherst. As of December 1, 2005, the VCCA can no longer cash checks for Fellows. For our international Fellows, please note that there is no place to exchange foreign currency in Amherst. Photo by Bradley Wester
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