An immersive experience was how one participant described the inaugural Sweet Briar Summer: Arts and Writing Retreat, which took place on campus from June 22–25.
Posted on July 12, 2023 by Sandra Huffman
Alumnae and friends, staff and faculty took part in the inaugural Sweet Briar Summer: Arts and Writing Retreat which welcomed creative minds from far and wide for a stimulating weekend of workshops led by Sweet Briar faculty and other visiting artists.
The retreat workshops ranged from writing, photography, and audio recording to yoga/dance and mixed media. Participants could showcase what they produced for class during the event’s closing reception, which included readings of original written work, a dance performance, photos from campus and nearby Piney River, and photos of an art feature installed near the campus entrance.
The retreat included a full schedule of events starting with registration on Thursday, followed by dinner and a welcome address from award-winning author Thirii Myo Kyaw Myint.
During lunch on Friday, fellows from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA), Caitlin Cass, Pamela Lawton and Sam Modder, discussed their works during an artist panel moderated by Clare van Loenen, director of the campus galleries and museum.
In addition to events on campus, trips were available to the Ankida Ridge Vineyards in Amherst VA on Friday, and the Anne Spencer House in Lynchburg VA, the former home of the renowned Harlem Renaissance poet, on Saturday. Other optional events also included a campus tour, a tour of the greenhouse, and a yoga class.
Special thanks to workshop instructors: professors John Gregory Brown, Erica Trabold, Medford Taylor, Tracy Chapman Hamilton, Joshua Harris and McCormick Templeman; and Colette Krogol and Matt Reeves from Orange Grove Dance.