Yaddo benefit to be held June 22

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » The Yaddo Summer Benefit, a celebration of the contributions Yaddo artists make to America’s cultural and economic life, will be held Thursday, June 22, 2017 on the grounds of the Yaddo estate.

This year’s program will feature best-selling author and former Yaddo resident Terry McMillan whose signature humor, wisdom, and warmth made “Waiting to Exhale,” “A Day Late and A Dollar Short,” “The Interruption of Everything,” “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” and “Getting to Happy” all best sellers.

McMillan’s latest work, “I Almost Forgot About You,” has topped charts nationwide.

The Summer Benefit hosts guests from Saratoga Springs, Albany and the entire Capital District for an evening of entertainment, food and wine, and company.

Yaddo has announced that restoration of its 124year old mansion will begin this summer, ensuring the centerpiece of the 400-acre property will continue to serve its many constituents for generations to come. With the twoyear closure of this historic building, the Summer Benefit will move to a large tent under the pines, in a location rarely seen by the public. Constructed in 1893, the mansion is Yaddo’s architectural centerpiece as well as the heart and soul of its residency program. The multi-phased restoration will include repointing, stone and framing repair, and updates of mechanical and electrical systems. Reopening is planned for summer 2019.

Proceeds from the Summer Benefit play a crucial role in ensuring Yaddo’s artist residency program continues to flourish. Over 6,500 individuals have created works at Yaddo --literature (fiction, non-fiction, and poetry), paintings, photography, sculpture, music, dance and film -that have helped shape American culture and touched millions of lives.

Yaddo is a retreat for artists whose mission is to nurture the creative process by providing an opportunity to work without interruption in a supportive environment. Artists are selected by panels of other professional artists without regard to financial means.

Residencies last from two weeks to two months and include room, board, and a studio.

Yaddo’s extensive and buildings were designated a National Historic Landmark in 2013.