Art Professor Receives Fellowship posted 8/11/08
Pi Benio has been awarded a fellowship by the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts

ADRIAN, Mich. - Adrian College Art and Design Professor Pi Benio has been awarded a fellowship by the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA). Benio will be among the approximately 20 Fellows focusing on their own creative projects at this working retreat for visual artists, writers and composers.

A typical residency ranges from two weeks to two months. An artist is provided with a comfortable private bedroom, a private studio and three prepared meals a day. Beyond the breakfast hour and dinner hour there are no obligations or schedules. This distraction-free atmosphere, as well as the energy that results from having some 20 visual artists, writers, and composers gathered in one place, enables artists to be highly productive.

The VCCA, a non-profit organization founded in 1971 which is supported in large by grants and private donations, is located near Sweet Briar College in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in rural Virginia. The VCCA is one of the nation’s largest year-round artists’ communities. It serves more than 300 artists a year.

VCCA Fellows have received worldwide attention through publications, exhibitions, compositions, and performances. Fellows have also received major awards and accolades including MacArthur grants, Pulitzer Prizes, Pollock-Krasner grants, National Book Awards, Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, and Academy Award nominations.

To learn more about the VCCA visit their website at www.vcca.com.