NEWSLETTER
Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (May 20, 2024) — The 2024 Stewart’s Signature Series unveils an exciting list of summer events, open to the public this June and July. The summer series, organized yearly by Skidmore College’s Office of Special Programs and made possible by a generous grant from Stewart’s Shops and the Dake Family, celebrates community through music, readings, and discussion by acclaimed artists and scholars.
“Saratoga Springs is blessed with a wide array of live interactive entertainment, particularly in the summer. We are proud to support the Stewart’s Signature Series, which brings exceptional performers and educators to our community while reinforcing Skidmore's role as a cultural hub for all,” said Susan Law Dake, president of Stewart’s Foundation and a member of Skidmore’s Class of 1971.
The series kicks off on Monday, June 24, with a reading by novelist Cristina Garcia (“Dreaming in Cuban”) and poet Megan Fernandes (“I Do Everything I’m Told”). The event, presented by the New York State Summer Writers Institute, will begin at 8 p.m. in Murray-Aikins Dining Hall, second floor, on Skidmore’s campus. Additional highlights include a performance by Grammy Award-winning Panamanian pianist, Danilo Pérez and a reading given by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Paul Harding. Events will be held on the Skidmore College campus, or locally at Saratoga Performing Arts Center and Caffe Lena. The series’ full lineup and ticket information are available on the Skidmore Summer Events 2024 website.
“Stewart’s and the Dake family are proud to support Skidmore’s contribution to Saratoga’s arts community,” said Bill Dake, chairman of the board of Stewart’s Shops. “Saratoga’s eclectic mix of live events, from the excitement of horse racing to the enchantment of theater, dance, and music, encapsulates the essence of our city’s charm. The Stewart’s Signature Series plays an important part in the Saratoga summer experience, and we strongly encourage everyone — local residents and visitors — to seize the opportunity to attend these unique events at Skidmore.”
Stewart’s Signature Series has been an essential part of the Saratoga Springs summer cultural scene since 2017.
“Skidmore is excited to present the 2024 Stewart’s Signature Series,” said Auden Thomas, director of Skidmore’s Special Programs and Summer Academic Programs. “We are thrilled to play a part in bringing these amazing artists to our community during the vibrant summer months.”
Stewart’s Signature Series 2024 lineup
Cristina Garcia and Megan Fernandes
8 p.m.
Monday, June 24
Murray-Aikins Dining Hall, second floor
Presented by the New York State Summer Writers Institute, novelist and Guggenheim Fellow Cristina Garcia, author of eight novels including “Dreaming in Cuban,” a finalist for the National Book Award, will read with poet Megan Fernandes, associate professor of English and writer-in-residence at Lafayette College.
A Conversation with New York Times Columnist John McWhorter
8 p.m.
Friday, June 28
Murray-Aikins Dining Hall, second floor
John McWhorter is the author of 20 books and a regular columnist for The New York Times. His most recent book, “Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America,” critiques the way antiracism is often viewed and enacted in the leftist cultural sphere. McWhorter is in residence with the New York State Summer Writers Institute and will be joined by Institute Director Robert Boyers, professor of English at Skidmore College and editor of Salmagundi Magazine.
Skidmore Jazz Institute Faculty All-Stars
11:30 a.m.
Sunday, June 30
Saratoga Performing Arts Center
In collaboration with Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival, Skidmore Jazz Institute faculty members Clay Jenkins (trumpet), Steve Wilson (saxophone), Steve Davis (trombone), Mike Moreno (guitar), Bill Cunliffe (piano), Todd Coolman (bass), and Dennis Mackrel (drums) will be performing. Tickets are available online.
Danilo Pérez Trio
7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, July 2
Arthur Zankel Music Center
Danilo Pérez, a Grammy Award-winning Panamanian pianist and composer, is considered a paragon of creativity in contemporary music, blending influences from his Panamanian roots with Latin American folk music, West African rhythms, and European impressionism. In this concert, presented by the Skidmore Jazz Institute, he leads a trio featuring talented performers Ian Ashby (bass) and Adam Cruz (drums).
Jenny Offill and April Bernard
8 p.m.
Thursday, July 4
Murray-Aikins Dining Hall, second floor
Novelist Jenny Offill will join April Bernard for a reading of fiction and poetry. Offill’s second novel, “Department of Speculation,” was named one of the 10 Best Books of 2014 by the New York Times. Bernard is a poet and professor at Skidmore College and a past recipient of the Walt Whitman Award from the Academy of American Poets. The event is presented by the New York State Summer Writers Institute.
Poetry & Jazz: An Evening with Robert Pinsky, Todd Coolman, and Bill Cunliffe, with special guest Pat LaBarbera
8 p.m.
Friday, July 5
Caffe Lena
A collaboration between the Skidmore Jazz Institute and the New York State Summer Writers Institute yields an evening with former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, Grammy Award-winning musicians Todd Coolman (bass) and Bill Cunliffe (piano), and special guest Pat LaBarbera. Tickets are available online.
Alexa Tarantino Quartet
7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, July 9
Arthur Zankel Music Center
The Skidmore Jazz Institute presents Alexa Tarantino, a rising alto saxophone star, educator, and composer, who will be performing alongside Grammy Award-winning musician Steven Feifke (piano) and Mark Whitfield Jr. (drums) and sought-after jazz player Raviv Markovitz (bass).
Paul Harding and Karan Mahajan
8 p.m.
Tuesday, July 16
Murray-Aikins Dining Hall, second floor
Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Tinkers,” Paul Harding, will read with novelist Karan Mahajan. Mahajan’s 2016 novel, “The Association of Small Bombs,” was a finalist for the National Book Awards. The event is presented by the New York State Summer Writers Institute.
PHOTO: Danilo Pérez, Alexa Tarantino, Paul Harding
About Skidmore College
Founded in 1903, Skidmore College is a highly selective private, coeducational liberal arts college of about 2,700 students. Skidmore is consistently named one of the “Best National Liberal Arts Colleges” by U.S. News and World Report and has recently been recognized as one of “America’s Most Entrepreneurial Colleges” by Forbes, a “Top College Value” by Kiplinger, and one of “The Best 389 Colleges” by The Princeton Review. Travel and Leisure has also called Saratoga Springs, home to Skidmore’s campus, one of “America’s Best College Towns.”