Campaign exceeds goal, College to celebrate in mid-October

More than 2,000 alumni, parents, and volunteers are expected for a wide range of events taking place at Skidmore during the weekend of Oct. 15-17.

The College is celebrating the completion of its six-year "Creative Thought Bold Promise" campaign, which in May surpassed its $200-million goal with a total of $216.5 million. At center stage will be the new Arthur Zankel Music Center, which is to be dedicated Saturday, Oct. 16, during an invitation-only concert that features acclaimed pianist Emanuel Ax, who will be in residence that week as this year's McCormack Visiting Artist-Scholar at Skidmore. 

The largest single facility funded by the campaign, the 54,000-square-foot Arthur Zankel Music Center has given the Music Department much-needed classrooms and rehearsal space, and it has given the region the 600-seat Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall, an acoustic marvel that in the eight months since it's opened has hosted dozens of performances and master classes featuring world-class artists of all genres. They include jazz greats Brad Mehldau, Josh Redman, Bill Charlap, Renee Rosnes, and Stefon Harris; Arlo Guthrie, the Klezmatics, and classical groups such as the Ying Quartet and Ensemble ACJW of Carnegie Hall and the Juilliard School. This summer, Zankel was home to the Skidmore Flute Institute, Saratoga Harp Colony, New York School of Orchestral Studies, and the New York State Arts Presenters Symposium.

Ax's Oct. 16 performance will both highlight the acoustic brilliance of the hall and celebrate the life and philanthropy of former Skidmore board member and parent Arthur Zankel, whose $46 million bequest is the largest gift in the College's history.There will also be a free public performance by the Skidmore Orchestra in the Center on the following day, Sunday, Oct. 17, at 4 p.m.

Other highlights of the weekend will include the dedication of the Susan Kettering Williamson '59 Sports Center, a continuation of events celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, and the annual "Under the Big Top" show staged by Skidmore's acclaimed a cappella groups and other student performers. In sports, the men's soccer team will meet SUNY New Paltz, while in field hockey the Thoroughbreds will go up against Babson and Williams. 
 

More than 18,000 individuals - alumni, parents, friends, and Skidmore employees - contributed to the campaign, which more than doubled the total of any of the College's previous fund-raising efforts. Launched in 2004, the campaign was framed by the College's strategic plan, which set goals to increase student academic engagement, intercultural and global understanding, and responsible citizenship. Among areas assigned particular priority for fund-raising were financial aid, endowment, sustainability initiatives, and academic programs.

"This accomplishment is a tribute to the incredible generosity of the extended Skidmore family and represents a remarkable achievement in its own right," said President Philip A. Glotzbach. "But even more importantly, the campaign has enabled us to invest in the life of the College in ways that have made a material and enduring contribution to the quality of the Skidmore experience for our students, to our continuing value to alumni, and to our capacity to enhance our region." 

For more information on the capaign's goals and outcomes, please visit the following web sites:

For more details on Celebration Weekend, click here. 

For a campaign timeline and an in-depth report on how funds raised in the "Creative Thought Bold Promise" campaign will be used, click here.

For background on Arthur Zankel, his family, and his dedication to Skidmore, click here.

For an overview of the Arthur Zankel Music Center, click here.

For the Tang Museum web site, click here.