The Festival of the Arts began in 1995 with the theme Spotlight on America – From Sea to Shining Sea!
Since its inaugural year, the festival has featured countries including Germany, Italy, Austria, England, Russia, France, and the Appalachian Region of the United States, among others.
The mission of the festival is to provide an in-depth exploration of the cultural riches of countries and cultures around the world, fostering a better understanding of those nations and cultures. The multi-week festival features numerous musical performances, including vocal, instrumental, and solo performances. Dance, theatre, literature, visual arts, culinary arts, and film are other areas of exploration.
Students from the dance, theatre, culinary, and music departments at Southwest, as well as community singers in the SWCC Community Chorus, participate. SWCC art students design the festival logo each year and prepare art exhibits that highlight the country’s artistic heritage. Workshops are conducted by visiting artists, and a Spotlight event is held each year to showcase student talent.
Most performances are presented by nationally and internationally acclaimed artists, among them: pianists Pavlina Dokovska; violinists Yuri Vodovoz and Rob Taylor; violist Ariel Rudiakov; cellist Diliana Momtchilova; flutist Massimo Mercelli; sopranos Stefka Evastieva and Karen Bureau; the Kandinsky Trio and Garth Newel Chamber Players; Walt Michael and Company and Madeline MacNeil, dulcimer.
Special guests have been actor Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Dr. Gottfried Wagner, musicologist; Chandler Cowles and Henry Taylor, Pulitzer Prize winners; Dr. Gideon Waldrop, former Dean of the Juilliard School of Music and President of the Manhattan School of Music; composer David Tcimpidis; writers Lee Smith and Sharyn McCrumb.
The success of the festival is due to the support of the community: area individuals and families, alumni, businesses, civic organizations, local government and school divisions, and local and regional family foundations, whose financial support is paramount to our programming. For festival sponsorship information, please contact Dr. Susan Lowe at 276-964-7304 or susan.lowe@sw.edu.
Festival Directors: Mary W. Lawson
Artistic Director: Pavlina Dokovska, Chair, Mannes College of Music Piano Department, and Vladimir Valjarevic, Piano Faculty, Mannes College of Music
Choral Director: Dr. Joseph Trivette, SWCC Albert Endowed Chair in Music
Cultural Walk Directors: Randy & Julie Forehand
School of the Arts Coordinators: Morgan Gilbert, Nyoka Muawad
Technical Director: Ryan Magee
Business Manager: Karen Brown
Facility Coordinator: Sherri Brown
Design & Marketing: John Dezember
SWCC Educational Foundation Executive Director: Stacey McGhee
SWCC VP of Institutional Advancement: Dr. Susan Lowe
SWCC President: Dr. Clint Hayes