Yaddo
Officers of the Women's League, Newport, R.I., 1899; Image, courtesy of the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Illuminating Our Path Forward


In 1899, our co-founder Katrina Trask envisioned Yaddo as a place intended for “men and women—creating, creating, creating!” Some 26 years later, the first group of guests arrived at Yaddo, with men and women artists equally represented.

Inclusion has long been integral to our credo and, this year we’re delighted to partner with the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and women’s constitutional right to vote.

On Wednesday, August 26th, Yaddo will be participating in the Forward into Light Campaign, a nationwide public art project encouraging artists to express themselves in the official suffrage colors of purple and gold. Many arts organizations and other landmark buildings are participating, including the Library of Congress, National Archives and the National Park Service.

We’ll soon be unveiling our historic Yaddo Mansion awash in purple and gold on all our digital platforms. Post your own “light art” tagging @WomensVote100 and Yaddo—@yaddocommunity on Facebook or @yaddotoday on Instagram & Twitter—with the hashtags #ForwardIntoLight or #PurpleAndGold, and we’ll share your posts.

Let's pay homage to all the women who came before us!

Explore Further

Collectively, Yaddo artists have won 82 Pulitzer Prizes, 34 MacArthur Fellowships, 71 National Book Awards and a Nobel Prize in Literature. Learn more about the impact of Yaddo.

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