Vermont College of Fine Arts
![]() | |
Type | Private art school |
---|---|
Established | 1831 independent fine arts institution in 2008 |
President | Leslie Colis Ward |
Academic staff | approx. 60 |
Postgraduates | about 380 |
Location | , , United States 44°15′19″N 72°34′3″W / 44.25528°N 72.56750°WCoordinates: 44°15′19″N 72°34′3″W / 44.25528°N 72.56750°W |
Colors | Green and white |
Affiliations | New England Commission of Higher Education |
Website | vcfa |
Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) is a private graduate-level art school in Montpelier, Vermont. It offers Master's degrees in low-residency and residential programs. Its faculty includes Pulitzer Prize finalists, National Book Award winners, Newbery Medal honorees, Guggenheim Fellowship and Fulbright Program fellows, and Ford Foundation grant recipients.
History[]
The focus of Vermont College has changed since its beginnings as Newbury Seminary in 1831. After existing in several forms including a Wesleyan Seminary and a Methodist Seminary, using the name Montpelier Seminary,[1] it became Vermont Junior College in 1941.[2] In 1958, it became Vermont College. In 1972, Vermont College merged with Norwich University; the two schools became fully integrated in 1993. Union Institute & University acquired Vermont College in 2001. In 2008, the MFA programs separated from Union Institute & University, and Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) was formed.
The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Writing program was established in 1981 and the MFA in Visual Art in 1991. The MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults, the first "MFA program in writing for young readers," began in January 1997. In 2008, Vermont College of Fine Arts became an independent institution.[2] In 2011, it launched an MFA in Music Composition program and an MFA in Graphic Design program[3] The MFA in Film program was established in 2013. In 2014, the residential MFA in Writing and Publishing began, and the Graduate Studies in Art & Design Education Program was established in 2015. The newest program is the International MFA in Creative Writing & Literary Translation, which enrolled its first students in 2018.
College Hall, the central building on campus, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was completed in 1872 and includes a two-story high chapel and a pipe organ from 1884.[4]
Academics[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Fall_VCFA_AnnCardinal_web.jpg/220px-Fall_VCFA_AnnCardinal_web.jpg)
All programs feature writers-in-residence, artists-in-residence, and artist/scholars who give lectures, readings, and workshops. Artists- and writers-in-residence have included Jean Valentine, Richard Russo, Claudia Emerson, M. T. Anderson, Andrew Blauvelt, Susan Cooper, Meredith Davis, Gregory Maguire, Holly Black, Jane Yolen, Wu Tsang, and Stephen Drury.
Low-residency[]
In the low-residency structure, students earn their graduate degrees through brief, on-campus residencies, self-designated study, flexible scheduling, and personalized attention through one-on-one guidance with a faculty mentor. The on-campus residencies consist of workshops, lectures, readings, panel discussions, student-teacher conferences and critiques, and presentations of works in progress."[2] A faculty member works with five or fewer students through written correspondence and electronic/video/telephone communication in between residencies.
Faculty[]
Approximately 60 authors, designers, filmmakers, composers, artists, and scholars teach at Vermont College. All have terminal degrees in their specialty.[2]
Notable alumni[]
Vermont College of Fine Arts[]
Notable alumni of the Vermont College of Fine Arts include:
- Julie Berry
- W.E. Butts
- Marcus Cafagna
- Mary Clyde
- Mark Cox (poet)
- Olena Kalytiak Davis
- Alison Hawthorne Deming
- Ted Deppe
- Alicia Erian
- Clark T. Hinman
- Henry Sanborn Noyes
- Frank Giampietro
- Gail Gregg
- Pamela Harrison
- Katherine Hastings
- Allison Hedge Coke
- LeAnne Howe
- Patricia Spears Jones
- Darrell Kipp
- Tracy Krumm
- Nancy Lagomarsino
- Wally Lamb
- Kapulani Landgraf
- Martine Leavitt
- Moira Linehan
- Jo-Ann Mapson
- Lou Mathews
- Linda McCartney
- Alyce Miller
- David Mura
- An Na
- Sandra Novack
- April Ossmann
- Jamie Parsley
- Elizabeth Powell
- Melissa Pritchard
- Bill Rasmovicz
- Tim Seibles
- Betsy Sholl
- Janaka Stucky
- Don Swartzentruber
- Jennifer K. Sweeney
- Kali Vanbaale
- Martha M. Vertreace-Doody
- Marjorie Welish
- Deborah Wiles
- Valerie Wohlfeld
Notable alumni of Newbury Academy[]
Notable alumni of Newbury Academy include:
- Horace W. Bailey
- George C. Chamberlain
- James M. King
- Caroline Burnham Kilgore
- Janette Hill Knox
- George McKendree Steele
References[]
- ^ "History". Vermont College of Fine Arts. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Vermont College of Fine Arts, Progress Report: January 2007-January 2008 (Montpelier., Vermont, 2008)
- ^ Bell, Shannon. "College Hall". www.nps.gov.
- ^ "New Programs: Dance, Nursing, Fine Arts". Retrieved 11 October 2014.
External links[]
- Vermont College of Fine Arts
- Private universities and colleges in Vermont
- Buildings and structures in Montpelier, Vermont
- Education in Washington County, Vermont
- Tourist attractions in Washington County, Vermont
- Art galleries in Vermont
- Educational institutions established in 1831
- 1831 establishments in Vermont