Yaddo President Elaina Richardson is stepping down after 25 years at the helm of the Saratoga artists’ retreat.
The New York Times reported the announcement in a feature published yesterday. Yaddo shared the article with its online followers today.
“It’s been the job of a lifetime,” Richardson told the paper. “But staying too long at the party is never a good idea.”
For nearly a quarter century, Richardson guided Yaddo through a period of steady, deliberate change—work often noticed only in retrospect. Before arriving in Saratoga Springs, she had built her career in journalism, serving as editor in chief of Elle magazine.
In 2000, she stepped away from that world to take her leadership role at Yaddo. The move surprised some in publishing, but it aligned with her interest in supporting creative work at its earliest, most vulnerable stages.
At Yaddo, Richardson oversaw a campus defined by its purpose: offering time and space for writers, composers, visual artists, and filmmakers to work without distraction. During her tenure, the organization completed significant restoration projects, including upgrades to the historic mansion and the construction of new studios designed to suit the needs of contemporary artists. She often described these improvements not as expansions of Yaddo’s footprint but as investments meant to secure its longevity.
“From stabilizing our historic Mansion to building new studios, growing our endowment, and guiding Yaddo through the pandemic, Elaina has reshaped our story,” read the social media post.
Richardson has also been credited with encouraging wider engagement with the surrounding community. Public access to the gardens, occasional events, and modest outreach initiatives reflected an effort to balance the organization’s long tradition of privacy with a recognition of its place in the region’s cultural landscape. At the same time, she emphasized the importance of maintaining the quiet and separation that defined the residency experience.
Saratoga Performing Arts Center President and CEO Elizabeth Sobol was one of several online followers who noted Richardson’s impact on the Saratoga community while responding to the news.
“Elaina,” she commented, “you are a gift to Saratoga and to artists throughout the world.”
Richardson told the Times that she would stay at Yaddo until a search committee names her replacement.
Founded in 1900 through the vision and endowment of Spencer and Katrina Trask, Yaddo has hosted more than 6,000 artists, including some of the most influential voices in literature, music, and visual art. The residency is application-based, and selected artists stay on the property—set across 400 wooded acres—receiving room, board, meals, and a dedicated studio.
The retreat is structured to allow for long, uninterrupted stretches of work. Artists have described their time at Yaddo as a period when their projects sharpened or changed direction, shaped by the combination of solitude, focus, and proximity to other working artists.
Although its core mission is private and work-centered, Yaddo maintains a public presence through its gardens, select events, and periodic community programming, connecting an otherwise secluded institution to the surrounding Saratoga Springs community.
In interviews, Richardson spoke plainly about the need for equitable application processes and support for artists arriving at different points in their careers. Her focus remained on preserving the conditions that allowed work to develop—conditions that were simple but increasingly rare.
“She has welcomed thousands of writers and artists through the gates, strengthening our mission with vision, grace, and generosity,” the social media statement read. “We are proud of her and proud of Yaddo!”
