Summer Program Kick Off!
May 10th, 2013Come celebrate the beginning of our 2013 summer program with an evening of opera in Appalachia. A picnic style dinner will be served following the performance. Event starts at 4:00 pm. Call to purchase tickets or buy them here with PayPal. Cost for this fundraiser for the Aurora Project is $45. Space is limited. More information below.
2013 Summer Programs
May 9th, 2013Summer programs are just around the corner!
Whether an evening of opera on Lantz Ridge, a 3-genre writing workshop with WV Wesleyan MFA professors, an Earth Art film festival, or regional music jam and celebration on the Aurora Project porches – there’s a little something for everyone.
Stayed tuned for more info on these exciting events!
6th Annual Spring Writers Retreat
March 7th, 2013
May 2 – 5 , 2013
Welcome to the Aurora Project’s 6th Annual Spring Writers’ Retreat.
This retreat is designed to give you time to focus on your own work; no workshops or entertainment. You will arrive Thursday evening by 7:00pm for a brief reception and room assignments then have the daylight hours all day Friday and Saturday to yourself. The retreat will end after breakfast on Sunday. Breakfast and supper will be served family style and light lunches will be prepared for you to pick up and eat as you wish. You may feel free to work in your room, on the porches (if weather permits) or throughout the guest houses in which you will be staying. Some writers may wish to use Cathedral State Park, across the road from the Inn. The only requirement is that you respect the solitude of those working near you. We will do all we can to accommodate your need for solitude and quiet as well. Although much of the weekend will be your private time, mealtimes will be social and will be followed by evening readings.
This weekend is also meant to acquaint you with other professional writers and with the Aurora Project, Inc., West Virginia’s first full time artists’ residency and education center. Situated on several acres along US Route 50, the Aurora Project is restoring 19th Century cottages, remnants of an historic resort community, to accommodate artists and scholars for three to six week residencies. While you do not have to be a published writer in order to attend, you must have worked seriously at your craft whether fiction, nonfiction, poetry or prose and provide a CV which demonstrates your experience as a writer.
Lodging and Meal Details: Writers will be housed in several locations, Brookside Inn and Retreat Center, located next door to the Aurora Project and in nearby guest houses. The cost of $225 per person includes three breakfasts, two lunches, and two suppers as well as three nights’ lodging. If you require a private room, the fee is $325 (up to 5 possible). Couples are welcome, but each partner must be a writer and will be charged the per person fee. Rooms will be assigned on a first come, first served basis; unfortunately, there are no handicap accessible rooms at this time. If you are registering as a couple or wish to share your room with a specific person, please note this on your registration form. Linens and towels will be provided. All meals will be served at Brookside Inn; breakfast will be served from 8:30 to 9:30am and supper at approximately 7:00pm. Vegetarian meals (but not vegan) will be available.
Space is limited – Reservations will be accepted on a first paid, first-served basis
The deadline for receipt of the application, payment and registration forms is April 10, 2012
It’s that time again!…
August 10th, 2012
Fall Writers’ Retreat – November 1-4, 2012
August 10th, 2012
“From left to right, John Nakashima, Irene McKinney, Tom Miles and Susan Sauter at the 2009 Aurora Project Fall Writer’s Retreat “
The 6th Annual Fall Writers’ Retreat is designed to give you time to focus on your own work. You will arrive Thursday evening by 7:00pm and have the daylight hours all day Friday and Saturday to yourself. The retreat will end after breakfast on Sunday. Feel free to work in your room, on the porches (if weather permits) or throughout the guest houses in which you will be staying. Although much of the weekend will be your private time, mealtimes will be social and will be followed by evening readings.
In addition to the regular evening readings, the Aurora Project will host a special tribute to Irene McKinney, WV Poet Laureate who passed away in February. Several retreat participants and other WV writers will read and honor Irene’s work at a public reading on Saturday night, Nov 3.
Please email Michele Moure-Reeves (info@auroraproject.org) for information and a registration form.
Reading and Discussion with Dr. Anita Skeen
October 22nd, 2011
Come for a wonderful evening and listen to poet and scholar, Dr. Anita Skeen. She will give a reading and host a discussion afterward. This event, sponsored by the Aurora Project, Inc., is part of our Fall Writer’s Retreat but is free and open to the public.
Don’t miss this great opportunity!
2011 Fall Writer’s retreat
October 20th, 2011Fall Writers’ Retreat • October 20-23, 2011
Welcome to the Aurora Project 2011 Fall Writers’ Retreat!
This retreat is designed to give you time to focus on your own work; no workshops or entertainment. The retreat will begin Thursday eve-ning with a reception and end after breakfast on Sunday. You will have the daylight hours all day Friday and Saturday to yourself. Breakfast and supper will be served family style and light lunches will be prepared for you to pick up and eat as you wish. As a unique feature of the fall retreat a nationally recognized author is invited to attend. This year, poet and scholar, Dr. Anita Skeen, will be our guest. She will conduct a discussion and give a reading at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 22, at the Aurora Community Center. This event, sponsored by the Aurora Project, Inc., is free and open to the public. You are invited to attend a dinner in her honor on Saturday evening before the reading. We will also have a Friday evening reading for those retreat writers wishing to participate. There is plenty of space in which you can work; you may feel free to work in your room or anywhere you are comfortable. And, though it will probably be cold, you may also wish to work in (or at least take a walk in) Cathedral State Park, an old growth forest located across the road. Of course, the porches will be available but the November weather may limit their use to only the hardy. We ask that you respect the solitude of those working near you.
Lodging and Meal Details: Writers will be housed in several locations, Brookside Inn and Retreat Center, located next door to the Aurora Project, and in nearby guest houses and cottages situated up to two miles from Brookside. Some facilities are more rustic than others but all are very comfortable. The cost of $250 per person includes three breakfasts, two lunches, and two suppers as well as three nights’ lodging. If you would prefer a private room, the fee is $325 (private rooms are limited and are assigned on a first come first served basis). Unfortunately, there are no handicap accessible rooms at this time, though two of the cottages are one story with minimal entrance steps. Couples (who are both writers) are welcome, but each partner will be charged the $250 fee. If you are registering as a couple or wish to share your room with a specific person, please note this on your registration form. Linens and towels will be provided. Although much of the weekend will be your private time, breakfast and dinner will be social and will be served at Brookside Inn; breakfast will be served from 8:30 to 9:30 am and supper between 6 and 7:00 pm. Your lunch will be available for you to take with you. Vegetarian meals (but not vegan) will be available. Please remember that it will be October in the mountains; it is not unusual to have snow at this time of year. Dress accordingly – bring warm clothes!
The weekend will also provide time for you to get acquainted with the Aurora Project, Inc., West Virginia’s first full-time multidisciplinary artists’ residency and education center. Situated on several acres along US route 50, the Aurora Project is restoring 19th century cottages, remnants of an historic resort community, to accommodate artists and scholars for three- to six-week residencies. We will be happy to schedule a tour of the site which is still under construction (bring boots).
Registration: The deadline for receipt of your registration and payment is September 26, 2011. Confirmations will be emailed on September 30th. Accommodations will be assigned on a first come – first served basis. There will be no refunds for any cancellations made after October 10th. Call or email Michele Moure-Reeves if you have questions: leave a message at 304-735-3620 (your call will be returned within 24 hours) or contact her via email at info@auroraproject.org. We will maintain a waiting list should there be any cancellations. The retreat will not be cancelled if it snows. To register, print out the registration form and send, with your check or money order payable to the Aurora Project, to 25208 George Washington Highway, Aurora, WV 26705. Be sure to include your email address for confirmation and directions.
“Fundraiser set for Preston County arts community” by The Charleston Gazette
October 13th, 2011CHARLESTON, W.Va. — In Roman mythology, Aurora was the goddess of dawn and a harbinger of fresh things to come. The Aurora Project doesn’t draw its name from those mythological roots, but the connection is apt as the project is all about birthing new things in the West Virginia hills.
See the full article in the Charleston Gazette
Thanks!
October 4th, 2011A special thanks to all who came out on a cold rainy day to make the 8th Annual Aurora Barn Dance a big success! Enjoy some pictures my Marc Shaffer of the event. Thanks Marc!
