SARATOGA SPRINGS – The historic Mansion at Yaddo reopens to the public on June 20 after a multimillion-dollar restoration and stabilization.
The renowned artist retreat has hosted the residencies of thousands of writers, poets, musicians, painters and other artists since 1926. In 2014, Yaddo’s Board and leadership spearheaded an ambitious project to restore, preserve and update Yaddo’s facilities, and launched a $1 million Capital Campaign to raise the necessary funds.
In the fall of 2017, the 55-room mansion, built in 1893, was closed for a complex, 18-month restoration focusing on exterior structural stabilization, upgraded electrical systems, masonry repointing, the removal of all 338 windows for replacement or repair, the installation of a new copper-and-slate roof, and the painstaking restoration by local artisans of beautiful 19th century decorative metalwork and stonework.
The Mansion restoration is the final piece of a multi-stage plan to ensure Yaddo’s survival into its second century of service to artists and its reopening will increase Yaddo’s capacity. In 2019, the 400-acre retreat will see a more than 30 percent increase in the number of artist visits - a clear indication that the institution continues to provide crucial support and creative sanctuary to artists of all career stages and disciplines.
The Yaddo Summer Benefit on Thursday, June 20 will be the public’s first glimpse of the results of the massive renovation effort.
This year’s benefit program features singer-songwriter Mike Doughty, founder of the ‘90s band Soul Coughing. Proceeds from the benefit play a crucial role in ensuring Yaddo’s artist residency program continues to flourish. For more information, go to: yaddo.org.
