Wachtmeister Award

The Wachtmeister Award is endowed by VCCA Fellow and Board member Linda Wachtmeister and administered by the VCCA Fellows Council. It is presented every two years in rotation to a prominent writer, visual artist, or composer whose significant achievement in the arts is widely recognized. A list of previous award recipients is provided below.

This award acknowledges the vital role of the arts in our world, the importance of artists who exemplify excellence in their field, and the necessity of time and space for the creative phase of all artistic work.

2027 Wachtmeister Award

The 2027 Wachtmeister Award will be given to an interdisciplinary visual artist pushing the boundaries of traditional and nontraditional materials and approaches. Applicants must have worked professionally for at least 15 years with substantial national or international achievement in their field, including publications, grants, awards, and/or other signs of achievement. This award is for someone who has never been in residence at VCCA.

The award winner will receive a fully-funded VCCA residency of up to 30 days, to be scheduled between May 1, 2027, and August 31, 2028; a $1,000 honorarium; and a travel stipend of $750. The VCCA residency at Mt. San Angelo includes an individual studio, a private bedroom with private en-suite bath, and three prepared meals each day in a community of more than 20 writers, visual artists, and composers in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.

Applications will be accepted February 1 – May 15, 2026.

There is no application fee.