Art
A Reader’s Response to “Life at the Vermont Studio School”
To the Readers of the Rail,
This letter is written to correct a false impression, which might emerge from reading the article “Life at VSC” in the November 2003 issue.
It appears from the article that VSC is some sort of “art ashram.” It is no such thing. It is instead a gathering of all kinds of artists and writers, a few with an interest in Eastern religions, but most of them caring more deeply about their artistic development than anything else. VSC is an intense place, attracting intense participants, but the smoke of incense does not hang in the air, and the lights in the studios at night are evidence of work being done after hours, rather than meditation being practiced.
It is, perhaps, that the daily practice of one’s art is itself a striving for transcendence, so that no other disciplines are needed.
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