In the year 2000, Laurence Caruana travelled to the Apocalypse Chapel in Southern Austria, where he worked as an assistant to Professor Ernst Fuchs with fellow artists Andrew Gonzalez and Amanda Sage. For Laurence, this was the opportunity of a lifetime, since he'd always been intrigued by the Viennese painter's mysterious Mischtechnik. Professor Fuchs invited Laurence and Florence to work with him as full-time assistants in his studios in Monaco and Castillon. It was an exciting year, filled with rich insights into the working methods of a contemporary genius.

     After that, Laurence and Florence decided to preserve Ernst Fuchs' legacy by spreading knowledge of his classical painting technique. In 2008, they created the first Visions in the Mischtechnik Seminar at Torri Superiore Italy, and thus the Academy was born. After teaching solo for two years, Laurence was joined by his Apocalypse Chapel colleagues Amanda Sage and Andrew Gonzalez. They were soon joined by the talented artist Maura Holden, thus creating The Expanded Visions in the Mischtechnik Seminar.  By summer of 2012, the Seminar had become so popular that Laurence and Florence envisioned a larger project.

     With the help of Ernst Fuchs' manager, Cornelia Mensdorff-Pouilly, The Vienna Academy of Visionary Art opened its doors in the Palais Palffy, opposite the Hofburg Palace. By then, a number of artists had come together to form The Visionary Guild, which became the main faculty members of the Academy. This artistic cabal included the four original seminar teachers, plus Daniel Mirante, Kuba Ambrose, Vera Atlantia, David Heskin, Aloria Weaver and Timea Tallian. 

     Over the course of seven years, The Vienna Academy of Visionary Art expanded to include many memorable activities. Trimester teachers included such Visionary luminaries as Autumn Skye Morrison, Luke Brown, Mark Lee, Oleg Korolev, Peter Gric, Jonathan Solter, Olga Klimova and more. Not only did the Academy offer a three-year programme of full-time study, but many workshops and lectures were also added, including the 4-day Art Spirit Vienna workshop led by Alex and Allyson Grey. Hailing from all parts of the globe, the talented and enthusiastic students made VAVA into an extra-ordinary place to study. 

      By 2016, The Vienna Academy of Visionary Art had moved into larger facilities and expanded across three floors to include a new Cultural Space where many workshop leaders offered ground-breaking classes in new modalities of soul healing - from sound baths and women's circles to liberation dances. With the help of Daniel Kage, the Academy opened The VAVA Werkstätte in 2020 to pursue Visionary Designs in metal and glass. Laurence and Florence also initiated a new Children's Programme in the Cultural Space.

     But, with the outbreak of the Global Pandemic in 2020, their international school had no choice but to close its doors. A series of Online Fundraiser Workshops were initiated by Alecia Sacred Heart and Amanda Sage to help cover the closing costs. Many of the faculty teachers gladly offered their services gratis. After this initiative, Alecia and Amanda went on to form the ViTra Academy.

     Laurence and Florence returned to their farmhouse in Burgundy France to enjoy a much-needed sabbatical. Although they continued to teach occasionally through online classes at the ViTra Academy, Laurence focussed most of his energies onto large-scale paintings for his new project, The Apocryphon Chapel, while Florence further pursued her interest in painting, Permaculture and the Austrian Moondance. 

     In 2023, the couple decided to relaunch their teaching initiatives. They dropped 'Vienna' from the academy's name, and launched the 13th annual Summer Seminar at Torri Superiore under the new banner of The Academy of Visionary Art. After an absence of three years, the inhabitants of Torri Superiore are thrilled to have their community of artists back, and Laurence and Florence are also enthusiastic about sharing their world vision once more with so many kindred artists.