2015 Annual Report

ANNUAL REPORT 2013 SINCE OUR FOUNDING, YADDO HAS WORKED HARD TO INVIGORATE AND FINE-TUNE THE FACILITIES WE OFFER OUR ARTISTS. 1928 MISSION STATEMENT Yaddo’s mission is to further the creative process by providing an opportunity for artists to work without interruption in a supportive environment. Chosen on a competitive basis by panels of widely recognized artists, guests work in both traditional and nontraditional media. They include emerging and well-known artists, reflecting a broad range of contemporary styles and creative perspectives. They are welcomed to Yaddo without regard for their financial circumstances. Cover photo, studio exterior: Elizabeth Haynes. Studio interior: Tristan Kirvin. 2013 2002 2002 contents Report from the Co-Chairs 3 President’s Report 4 Yaddo Artists 6 Sponsored Residencies 9 New York City Benefit 12 Saratoga Summer Benefit 13 Highlights 14 Financial Information 15 Yaddo Contributors 16 Directors and Members 24 Trask Society 23 Staff 24 2 YADDO ANNUAL REPORT 2015 Report from the Co-Chairs e begin by taking a moment Thinking of good governance, of the market and the costs of being to remind ourselves how we introduced term limits to our in campaign mode – thanks to our Wvery grateful we are for Membership and Board of Directors to treasurer, Candace Weir. Yaddo – a place of retreat, creative ensure a vibrancy and depth to Yaddo’s inspiration, and refuge in a world that leadership for generations to come. 2015 was overall a strong year for is so complex. And we are pleased to As we know, an active and engaged Yaddo. Much work was done and much report that 2015 was a year of all- board is vital to the success of any was achieved. The year ended with a around accomplishment. In our aim to organization. balanced budget, a significant marker Preserve the Past and Build a Vibrant of health as we worked on a capital Future, Yaddo continues to make great It would be remiss not to note campaign. Annual giving was protected strides. The centerpiece of the year that Susan Brynteson has retired even as we raised just over $5 million was the completion of five new live/ from her position as Vice Provost work studios, which welcomed their first of Libraries at the University of guests in April. Delaware after 30 years. Yaddo’s 2015 was a year guests can still look forward to of all-around Our Strategic Plan called on us to seeing Susan every summer in the expand the breadth of expertise of our beloved Yaddo Authors Library, accomplishment. Members to meet new challenges and cataloguing the books we receive take advantage of new opportunities. over the course of the year. And in campaign funding. Both Board and The election of Deborah Berke, Ann our guests are now able to read individual giving to Yaddo was at an Chen, Willis Goldsmith, and Katherine by the light of reading lamps given all-time high! Rosman to Membership in 2015 brings by Susan’s family in honor of her us closer to our goal. As we prepare for birthday and 50-year connection We are most indebted to Yaddo’s hard- the heavy lift of restoring the Mansion, to Yaddo. working, dedicated staff. Especially Willis’s and Deborah’s expertise in law big kudos go to our president, Elaina and architecture, respectively, will help In the same vein, the Schapiro Fund Richardson, who has worked tirelessly to ensure that we follow consistently gave Yaddo an inspiring $1 million on our behalf. high standards. Later this year, Deborah gift in honor of our longtime board will take her place as the first-ever member, Linda Collins, who died None of this would be possible without female Dean of the Yale School of in 2014. This gift is exemplary of all of you and your support. As always, Architecture – we are thrilled for her Linda’s generosity and commitment we look forward to hearing your ideas and for us. Ann Chen’s combination to Yaddo, and highlights the fact throughout the year. of international business experience that those who know us best, and knowledge of contemporary art is support us wholeheartedly. Gifts like already helping us to build a following these make Yaddo the unique and on the West Coast. And we are extraordinary place it is. fortunate to have the talents of Katie A.M. Homes and Susan Unterberg Rosman, Yaddo author and New York Yaddo’s endowment continues to be in Co-Chairs Times journalist, to help invigorate our good health at $28 million – a strong connection to and communications with achievement for 2015 given the rigors our thousands of artist alumni. 3 President’s Report addo’s founders, Spencer A.M. Homes and Susan Unterberg, and Katrina Trask, were great more than rose to the challenge, for Ytinkerers, happy to experiment which they have my thanks, as do all and innovate socially, aesthetically and the Members and Directors of the in business dealings. The buildings and Corporation of Yaddo for their support, grounds they left to us illustrate that energy, and trust. When we met at aspect of their approach to life: trees Yaddo last September for our Annual were planted, and if they failed to thrive, Meeting, there was palpable joy at all others were put in their place; if Stone we are accomplishing, tempered by Tower didn’t work as an ice house, well, the reality of what still needs to be how about using it as a family chapel? done, certainly, but appropriate pride That propensity has been much on in the “now.” my mind as we push forward with our campaign to Preserve the Past and The Campaign has raised just over $5 Build a Vibrant Future. This year, we million dollars for the projects identified built five new live/work studios (the in our Facilities Master Plan as Phase first guests moved into these beautiful 1. That’s a healthy start and should, spaces just this week) and began to I think, give all of us confidence that develop a scope of work for restoration momentum is with us as we push and stabilization of the Mansion. As the forward. I’m reminded of something plans came to fruition, it occurred to me wonderful the Yaddo author and again and again that the Trasks would board member Rick Moody once said: approve. I imagine, in fact, that they’d be describing the impact of a residency enthralled by it all, happy participants in at Yaddo, and the roll call of the greats the imagining of What’s Next! who have worked in these same rooms, and walked on the same paths, Of course, adding a capital campaign he noted that he experienced it as a and a building agenda to the ongoing “tremendous wind at my back, holding demands of running one of the nation’s me up and moving me forward even preeminent residency programs on days when writing felt ridiculously does not come without various costs, hard.” I, too, feel buoyed by our past, budgetary, for sure, but also of time and carried forward by the vigor of and commitment. Our Board Co-Chairs, those who work here, as we take on 4 YADDO ANNUAL REPORT 2015 Of course, buildings are at heart no more than a way for us to actualize our mission. the challenges of this pivotal moment countries, including the Netherlands, was evident from the large number of in our storied history. Nigeria, New Zealand, and South artists who last year testified in letters, Korea. We received a total of 1,653 dedications, and interviews to the With so much of a focus on the macro, applications from choreographers, staggering impact that time at Yaddo it was important that the micro not be composers, filmmakers, painters, had on their output and creativity. ignored, and it was not. We protected performance artists, photographers, annual giving as we raised campaign printmakers, sculptors, video artists, As always, I thank my talented and funds. Our endowment, always a and writers, working both alone and hardworking colleagues for all they did benchmark of our fiscal health, fared as collaboratively in teams of up to three. to make 2015 so productive: I learned a well as we could hope in a challenging Almost sixty percent were guests at lot from each of them as we collectively market climate; at the beginning of the Yaddo for the first time, and the artists shaped goals and, more importantly, year it stood at $30 million, and was at ranged in age from their early 20s to a shared vision of how to get there. just under $28 million at year’s end. I’m their late 80s. As anyone who has ever led an grateful to Candace Weir for her smart organization knows, success demands and dynamic chairing of our Finance Under the shrewd guidance of our colleagues who are confident and and Audit Committee and to Patricia Admissions Committee and in important committed enough to create this kind of Sopp, Yaddo’s stellar Vice President for partnership with the Hearst Foundation, alignment — otherwise decision fatigue Finance. We also paid close attention we also renewed our commitment to sets in. I also salute our generous to our governance practices, as Susan outreach to guarantee the vitality of our community of supporters for once more and A.M have noted in their Report. We admissions process. These efforts paid promoting a deeper understanding of modified our bylaws to enact term limits off handsomely in a lively and talented the value of solitude and community, of and developed an orientation program group of artists in residence throughout time and space, and — most important for new Members.

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