VCFA’s Winter 2024 Residency Photo Gallery
From January 5-13, all six of VCFA’s MFA programs converged in-person and virtually on the Susquehanna University campus in Selinsgrove, PA for our winter 2024 residency. For nine days, our community of artists were engaged in exhibitions, critiques, screenings, performances, showcases, readings, workshops, and networking opportunities. As a college, it was our first time hosting our unique low-residency experience in Pennsylvania, and our first time gathering as a full community for a winter residency. VCFA hosted our first concurrent summer residency in 2023.
This residency simply could not have been possible without the people who came together with a creative and collaborative vision. VCFA would like to thank the staff, faculty, graduate assistants, alumnx, students, and volunteers who supported the winter 2024 residency. Additionally, we’d like to extend a special thank you to the students, staff, and administration of Susquehanna University for supporting VCFA’s stay in Selinsgrove.
The images in the gallery below reflect just a glimpse of the VCFA residency experience. To view each gallery in full and read art credits, click the photos in the galleries to enlarge.
A Winter in Photos
The VCFA community made their presence known in Pennsylvania. Each of our six MFA programs had their own dedicated spaces, with communal spaces for gathering and sharing throughout residency.
Residency kicked off officially with convocation on January 5, 2024. Remarks were shared by Interim VCFA President Andrew Ramsammy, Interim Academic Dean Mary-Kim Arnold, Interim Administrative Dean Katie Rasmussen, and Susquehanna University President Johnathan Green.
The winter season quickly met up with VCFA in Pennsylvania. With a bonfire lit almost every night, the snow only added to the beauty and coziness of residency.
Exhibition and gallery set-up is a vital part of residency for our MFA in Visual Art and MFA in Graphic Design programs. VCFA sends our thanks to the graduate assistants, staff, students, and volunteers who make this residency touchstone possible year after year.
This residency, the MFA in Music Composition program hosted a number of events open to our community, including the Electronic Showcase, the Film & Media Music Festival, the Composer-Performer-Improvisor Showcase, and the Songwriting Showcase.
The MFA in Writing program was treated to lectures and readings throughout the week. Students were able to attend readings from the winter 2024 visiting writers Anna Badkhen, Dionne Irving, Patricia Spears Jones, and Sean Singer.
In addition to screenings, critiques, and workshops, the MFA in Film program hosted visiting filmmakers Gina Resnick, Savannah Leaf, and Brian Rigney Hubbard during VCFA’s winter 2024 residency.
Numerous graduate lectures were presented throughout the week to the Writing for Children & Young Adults program on topics such as utilizing callbacks in kidlit, celebrating queer pride, and native representation and storytelling. Rebecca Blevins’s lecture, “Cake for All! Creating Disability Inclusive Stories by Applying the Social Model of Disability,” captivated attendees with examples of the social vs. medical model of disability and its impact on kidlit readers.
The MFA in Visual Art community set-up shop in the Degenstein Campus Center with their program exhibitions. As a part of the concurrent residency experience, all six of VCFA’s MFA programs were welcome to view current and graduating student work throughout the week.
The Graphic Design Winter 2024 Thesis Exhibition was in_between, a showcase of the seven MFA in Graphic Design community members who graduated during our winter 2024 residency. View the thesis website here.
VCFA’s winter 2024 commencement was held on the last day of residency, January 13, 2024. Graduates from all six of VCFA’s MFA programs had their degrees conferred in the college-wide ceremony.
