Yaddo National Outreach

Saratoga Springs, NY (May 7, 2012) - Charlotte, North Carolina, will be the first stop on a series of road trips Yaddo is initiating to extend our reach across the country and to reaffirm our commitment to serving artists working in a range of disciplines. 

Beverly McIver

On May 22, former guest artist and Member Beverly McIver and Director of Development Steve Dennin will present "Yaddo: The Residency Experience" at The North Carolina Dance Theatre in Charlotte. The information session is free and open to anyone interested in knowing more about the residency program, the application process, and the types of artists Yaddo serves.

The presentation in Charlotte is made possible with support from The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which awarded Yaddo a $125,000 grant to fund residencies of four to eight weeks for eight artists, working in a variety of mediums, and drawn from eight cities where Knight Foundation invests. In addition to Charlotte, the locations include Akron, Ohio; Macon, Georgia; San Jose, California; St. Paul, Minnesota; Detroit, Michigan; Miami, Florida; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The artists will be given private living and studio space at Yaddo, and, if needed, financial aid to help cover costs such as lost income, transportation, and childcare - expenses that might otherwise prevent an artist from accepting the offer of a visit to Yaddo.

In Charlotte and elsewhere across the country, the outreach sessions will include artists from the local region who have spent time at Yaddo and will emphasize our desire to expand our geographical reach and to welcome applicants in emerging art forms, such as electronic media and ambient sound composition. We also are working with other institutions to encourage applications from individuals working in forms and regions currently underrepresented in the Yaddo community. This commitment to outreach includes a pledge to support artists post-residency with opportunities for them to engage with audiences at appropriate and useful points in their careers.

McIver, a painter, is widely acknowledged as a significant presence in contemporary American art in general and as an important African American woman artist. She grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina, and is currently the Suntrust Endowed Chair Professor of Art at North Carolina Central University. A recent film, Raising Renee, chronicles difficult family decisions she faced at an important juncture in her artistic career.

The program in Charlotte is slated for Tuesday, May 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Patricia McBride and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux Center for Dance at The North Carolina Dance Theatre, 701 North Tyron Street. No RSVP is required. A reception will follow the program.

About The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. Similar to Yaddo's founders, the Foundation believes that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged.