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 that have continued through the years are the Cultural Walk, master classes, and Spotlight on Talent.

The inaugural year featured 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.

Listing of festival images and themes
Festival Graphic Festival Year and Theme
Promotional graphic for Southwest Virginia Community College’s Festival of the Arts 2025, celebrating 30 years, with colorful silhouettes of dancers and icons for music, theater, and visual arts. 2025 | Celebrating 30 Years!
Logo for “Festival of the Arts” over a blue, white, and red painted background, featuring a circular emblem with a paintbrush and stylized bird. 2024 | Our French Connections
  2021 - 2023 | Events were canceled due to restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Illustration of a person’s eyes surrounded by swirling blue paint and science-themed doodles, including an atom symbol and the equation E=mc². 2020 | Visionaries
An illustrated strip of film curling across the frame, with several colorful picture frames displayed in the middle. 2019 | Movies: The Music, the Dance, the Fashions, the Stories
Circular emblem with four hands clasped in a square at the center, surrounded by interwoven chains and colored bands in layered rings. 2018 | From Across the Pond to Southwest Virginia: A Fusion of Cultures
Poster for “Festival of the Arts” featuring a central dancer sketch with colorful flowing lines and small drawings of dancers around it, plus the subtitle “The Diversity of Dance: Its Styles, Rhythms, 2017 | The Diversity of Dance: Its Styles, Rhythms & Music
 Decorative crest with a shield showing a quill and handwritten script, a portrait of Shakespeare, a theatrical mask, and sheet music, with a sword behind it and a banner reading “All the World’s a' ST 2016 | Shakespeare and the Age of Romanticism 
 Colorful patchwork quilt-square pattern centered with silhouettes of musicians and brass instruments arranged in a circular design around it. 2015: International Folk and Classical Arts: Inspiration and Reinvention
 Vintage-style collage featuring Uncle Sam pointing, an early automobile, a Victorian-era woman, a peacock illustration, and Union Jack flags layered over a map background.  

2014 | Winds of Change, Winds of War-1890-1920: An Era of Empire, Invention and Upheaval
Hand-drawn illustration of a large hand holding a knife above a circus-like stage, with small clown figures and a striped backdrop. 2013 | NO LIMITS!
 Poster for “Festival of the Arts” featuring a soldier in a gas mask and an Italian flag bearer in front of the Colosseum, with the text “VIVA ITALIA!”.  2012 | VIVA Italia!
 Poster for “Festival of the Arts” featuring the Statue of Liberty with the Eiffel Tower and music-themed elements, with the tagline “Our French Connections!”.  2011 | Our French Connections
 Poster-style illustration titled “Along the Silk Road: From Italy to China and Back Again!” with a stylized red building and silhouettes of travelers and landmarks against an orange background. 2010 | Along the Silk Road: From Italy to China and Back Again!
 Poster for Southwest Virginia Community College’s Festival of the Arts, “1995–2009: A Retrospective,” dated April 16–April 26. 2009 | A Retrospective 1995-2009
 Three Scandinavian flags waving, including Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. 2008 | Spotlight on Scandinavia and the White Nights
 Jamestown Virginia 1607–2007 logo with three stylized sailing ships beneath a ribbon reading “Virginia 2007 Community Program.” 2007 | Spotlight on Colonial America: Virginia 1607-2007 Community Program
 Illustration of a woman in a red-and-blue dress dancing, with a green map-like shape behind her and the text “2006 Festival of the Arts” and “Spotlight on Eastern Europe.” 2006 | Spotlight on Eastern Europe
 Illustration of the African continent with colorful dancers and musical notes above it, the word “AFRICA” in bold letters, and two raised hands at the bottom. 2005 | Spotlight on Africa and Her Legacy
 Logo with a globe behind a violin, musical notes on a staff, and the curved text “Spotlight on Global Harmony” above. 2004 | Spotlight on Global Harmony
 Colorful cartoon of a musician in a red hat playing a brass instrument, with swirling musical notes and a stylized sun overhead. 2003 | Spotlight on Spain and Latin America
 Poster-style illustration with the Eiffel Tower and the word “France,” plus text reading “Spotlight on France” and “2002 Festival of the Arts.” 2002 | Spotlight on France
 Black-and-white poster illustration with musical notes and stylized onion-domed Russian architecture, with the text “2007 Festival of the Arts” and “Spotlight on Russia!”. 2001 | Spotlight on Russia!
 Poster-style illustration with a rose and bow, two lit candles, and a bird silhouette, with text reading “Spotlight on England” and “SVCC Festival of the Arts 2003.” 2000 | Spotlight on England
 Poster graphic with mountains, musical notes, and a French horn, titled “1999 Festival of the Arts” with the phrases “The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Music” and “Spotlight on Austria!”. 1999 | Spotlight on Austria!
 Black-and-white poster-style illustration of a guitar with a sun and hills, titled “Spotlight on Appalachia,” with the text “A Fusion of Cultures!” and “1998 Festival of the Arts.” 1998 | Spotlight on Appalachia: A Fusion of Cultures!
 Illustration of a palette with the words “Festival of the Arts” and a red horse graphic, topped by an Italian flag, with “Spotlight on Italy” below. 1997 | Spotlight on Italy!
 Vintage-style illustration of a stage spotlight labeled “Spotlight on Germany,” with a row of hanging lights above. 1996 | Spotlight on Germany!
 Circular “American Arts” logo with a blue outer ring showing silhouettes of sea life and the slogan “From sea to shining sea,” and a central sunrise over the ocean. 1995 | From Sea to Shining Sea: A Celebration of the American Arts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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