VCFA Friendsgiving

As a way of expressing our appreciation, please join us for the second annual VCFA Friendsgiving: an exciting lineup of conversations, readings, performances, and screenings starting with a kickoff event hosted by VCFA’s Center for Arts + Social Justice on November 16, and a full day of programming starting at 11 am ET on November 18. Read on for this year’s event lineup. (Note: All events are in Eastern Standard Time.)

Tuesday, November 16

7 pm | WARRIOR WOMEN Film Screening
Hosted by VCFA’s Center for Arts + Social Justice
Brad Heck (F ’19), MFA in Film Program Director and director of the film SISTERS RISING, will introduce the screening. A brief conversation following the film will aim to generate questions for the November 18 discussion with the WARRIOR WOMEN team.

Thursday, November 18

11 am | Performance Art: Connecting…
Geno Luketic (VA ’18) is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Please plan to be present. For a period of time. You are welcome to participate during the experience. The following items are suggested, though not required. A blanket, coat or other large fabric item, preferably dark in color. Your phone or other small light source. One small cherished object which will fit in the palm of your hand.

1 pm | Celebrating 40 Years of the MFA in Writing
MFA in Writing Program Director Donald Quist (’13) and Faculty Chair Connie May Fowler hold an informal chat—with special guests!—about the past and future of the MFA in Writing program.

2:30 pm | Panel Discussion: Humor in Music
MFA in Music Composition Co-Chair Ravi Krishnaswami moderates a panel discussion about Humor in Music featuring alumnx Margie Halloran (’15), Garrett Steele (’16), Zach Kohlmeier (’17), Mario Inchausti (’18).

4 pm | Foreshadow! 
Tanya Aydelott (WCYA ’19), a featured New Voice from the anthology Foreshadow!, will host and moderate a chat with Nova Ren Suma (WCYA faculty) and Emily X.R. Pan (joining WCYA faculty soon!) about the online YA short story project that became an anthology and the craft of writing short fiction for a young audience.

5:30 pm | Performance Art: Confrontation by Index Card
Julie Krishnaswami’s (VA ’21) performance art piece, Confrontation by Index Card, is about the labor of female speech—hearing, speaking, anticipating—in the political arena. This performance compiles words and phrases from US Senate Judiciary Committee Hearings of female Supreme Court nominees and witnesses. The words read in this performance were pulled from that material, and then typed on index cards and stored in the drawer of a metal card catalog.

Postponed | WARRIOR WOMEN Discussion and Q+A
Hosted by VCFA’s Center for Arts + Social Justice
MFA in Film Program Director Brad Heck (F ’19) hosts a discussion with filmmaker Beth Castle and American Indian Movement veteran and Lakota matriarch Madonna Thunder Hawk about the WARRIOR WOMEN film. This event has been postponed. Stay tuned for a new date TBA!

We are looking forward to a day of celebrating the VCFA community. In addition to celebrating the creativity and connections within our VCFA community, Friendsgiving officially kicks off our year-end campaign. 100% of funds raised during Friendsgiving events will directly support VCFA’s Artists Development Fund, providing student scholarships across our programs.

Visit the Friendsgiving Website today and click “Sign In” on the upper right-hand area of the page to register. You’ll receive updates as we announce the schedule and kick things off in mid-November.