Winter Residency 2025
VCFA will hold its winter 2025 residency on the campus of California Institute for the Arts (CalArts) January 3-11 in Los Angeles County, CA. For nine days, all six of VCFA’s MFA programs will come together to conduct concurrent residencies packed with lectures, readings, performances, screenings, exhibitions, and more.
2025 RESIDENCY EVENT HIGHLIGHTS*Event dates, times, and locations are subject to change. |
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JANUARY 3 |
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| 4:00 PM PST | Convocation Residency officially kicks off with the Convocation ceremony! |
JANUARY 5 |
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| 7:00 PM PST | Center for Arts + Social Justice Events |
| An Evening with Dr. Cheryl D. Miller
Please join us for an evening with renowned designer Cheryl D. Miller, author of Here: Where the Black Designers Are. Miller’s long-awaited book recounts the parallel history of collective efforts by fellow scholars and advocates over the past fifty years to identify and celebrate Black designers. |
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JANUARY 11 |
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| 1:00 PM PST | College-wide Commencement Join VCFA in celebrating the graduating class of Winter 2025! |
| 2:30 PM PST | Program Commencement Ceremonies |
*Featured artwork by Sarah Davis (GD ’17) |
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Winter Residency Program Highlights
VCFA’s six MFA program residencies are packed with programming, including visiting artist presentations, exhibitions, screenings, performances, graduating student and faculty lectures, and more. View highlights for each program’s residency events below.
MFA in Film Residency Highlights
During the 2025 residency, MFA in Film students will experience one-on-one critiques with faculty, attend screenings, and lectures, and participate in workshops with visiting filmmakers and directors. Returning faculty include: Marya Cohn, Damon Davis, Daphne McWilliams, and Emillie Upczak. We’re excited to welcome new faculty Ekwa Msangi and Tomás Gómez Bustillo!
The roster of visiting filmmakers and directors includes: Benjamin Font (visiting short film director), Shuchi Talati (visiting filmmaker), Anu Valia (visiting filmmaker), Michele Stephenson (visiting filmmaker), Kyle Hausmann-Stokes (visiting filmmaker), Michael Riley (visiting motion graphics director), Emily Schweber (casting director), and VCFA writing faculty Miciah Bay Gault.
MFA in Graphic Design Residency Highlights
This winter’s residency includes presentations and workshops led by guest designers Dr. Cheryl D. Miller, Kelly Weldon, Eric Hu, Parsons + Charlesworth, Michael Riley. The MFA in Graphic Design program is pleased to welcome visiting faculty Heather Snyder Quinn (GD ‘18), David Jon Walker, and Amy Fortunato.
This year we’re excited to present An Evening with Dr. Cheryl D. Miller as part of the Center for Arts + Social Justice celebration taking place on Jan 5.
Graphic Design students will showcase their semester work during the pin-up exhibition. Thesis students Jewell Melisa Traifalgar Morton (GD ’25), Andru Lance Poole (GD ’25), and Jeremy Neal Rosen (GD ’25) will present their capstone work.
MFA in Music Composition Residency Highlights
The MFA in Music Composition program is excited to present its events for 2025! Throughout the week, multiple performances will feature music written by VCFA students and performed by world-class musicians. The live-streamed events include:
- Electronic Showcase | Jan 4, 7 pm PST
- Film & Media Music Festival | Jan 5, 3 pm PST
- Composer-Performer-Improvisor (ComPerVisor) Showcase | Jan 6, 7 pm PST
View all the streamed events here.
VCFA is set to host two ensembles this winter. These ensembles will premier pieces written by our MFA in Music Composition students that reflect a widely versatile cross-section of approaches to new music. The program will additionally host showcase events featuring composers, writers, and songwriters.
Guest ensembles include Truberry Duo featuring residency faculty members Rob Frankenberry and Trudy Chan and Anna’s Ghost featuring Brian Walsh, Kris Tiner, Lauren Elizabeth Baba, and Miller Wrenn.
MFA in Visual Art Residency Highlights
Information coming soon.
MFA in Writing Residency Highlights
MFA in Writing program is pleased to welcome visiting writers A. Van Jordan, Christine Sneed, Jehanne Dubrow and Martha Collins to its winter residency! Students will participate in readings, lectures, and workshops.
MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults Residency Highlights
Information coming soon.