The Airy Knoll Farm Class is a residential program that takes place on a farm on a pristine plot of land in the middle of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Each summer there are two classes, one in May and one in June, each for eight days.
Each class has a Visiting Artist and a Visiting Poet.
The Visual Artist brings his or her expertise and plans a program or technique that can be grasped in the week. Very often work is completed after the time at the farm for presentation in an exhibition in the fall.
During the week, the Visiting Poet introduces poems of significance, both contemporary and classical, and assists in the writing sessions and the editing of writings.
An important follow up in the fall is the exhibition of the work that has been completed by the summer students.
The students are recommended by the faculty at Central Piedmont College Community College or other schools, they are chosen for their seriousness of purpose and their evidence of interest in the arts rather than their ability to pay for this program.
Students can apply by submitting a portfolio, a resume, a statement of purpose, and two recommendations from their art teachers and/or mentors.