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Past Festivals

Under the leadership of Festival Director Mary Lawson, the Southwest Virginia Community College Festival of the Arts launched in 1995 with the theme From Sea to Shining Sea: A Celebration of the American Arts.

A few features of the Festival of the Arts which have continued through the years are the Cultural Walk, master classes, and Spotlight on Talent.

The inaugural year featured the talent of Victoria Bond as Conductor, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. as Narrator, and Pavlina Dokovska as Pianist. Pavlina Dokovska began the Festival as the Pianist-in-Residence and continues to perform and teach in recent festivals, as well as serve as the Festival Artistic Director each year.

2024 | Our French Connections

2021 – 2023 | Events were canceled due to restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020 | Visionaries

2019 | Movies: The Music, the Dance, the Fashions, the Stories

2018 | From Across the Pond to Southwest Virginia: A Fusion of Cultures

2017 | The Diversity of Dance: Its Styles, Rhythms & Music

2016 | Shakespeare and the Age of Romanticism

2015: International Folk and Classical Arts: Inspiration and Reinvention

2014 | Winds of Change, Winds of War-1890-1920: An Era of Empire, Invention and Upheaval

2013 Festival of the Arts Southwest Virginia Community College

2013 | NO LIMITS!

2012 Festival of the Arts Southwest Virginia Community College

2012 | VIVA Italia!

2011 Festival of the Arts Southwest Virginia Community College

2011 | Our French Connections

2010 Festival of the Arts Southwest Virginia Community College

2010 | Along the Silk Road: From Italy to China and Back Again!

2009 Festival of the Arts Southwest Virginia Community College

2009 | A Retrospective 1995-2009

2008 Festival of the Arts Southwest Virginia Community College

2008 | Spotlight on Scandinavia and the White Nights

2007 Jamestown

2007 | Spotlight on Colonial America: Virginia 1607-2007 Community Program

2006 Festival of the Arts Southwest Virginia Community College

2006 | Spotlight on Eastern Europe

2005 Festival of the Arts Southwest Virginia Community College

2005 | Spotlight on Africa and Her Legacy

2004 Festival of the Arts Southwest

2004 | Spotlight on Global Harmony

2003 | Spotlight on Spain and Latin America

2002 Festival of the Arts Southwest Virginia Community College

2002 | Spotlight on France

2001 | Spotlight on Russia!

2000 Festival of the Arts Southwest Virginia Community College

2000 | Spotlight on England

1999 Festival of the Arts Southwest Virginia Community College

1999 | Spotlight on Austria!

1998 Festival of the Arts Southwest Virginia Community College

1998 | Spotlight on Appalachia: A Fusion of Cultures!

1997 festival

1997 | Spotlight on Italy!

1996 Festival

1996 | Spotlight on Germany!

1995 Festival

1995 | From Sea to Shining Sea: A Celebration of the American Arts

All Southwest locations are CLOSED on Friday, February 21, due to inclement weather.
Day & Evening Classes are canceled.