A Night Of Creativity: Millay Arts Gala Celebrates 50 Years Of Artistic Creation
The extravaganza will feature alumni performances, signature cocktails , a gourmet feast and a s’mores-filled after party.
The Barn at Millay Arts
Unless you’re an artist or writer seeking a residency program, Millay Arts (formerly the Millay Colony for the Arts) in Austerlitz, New York is one of the world’s best-kept secrets. Located at Steepletop, the historic estate of poet/activist Edna St. Vincent Millay, it's also one of the longest-running arts residencies in the world. To celebrate its half century — and the more than 3,000 composer, poets, writers, visual artists, playwrights, screenwriters and filmmakers it has hosted — Millay Arts is throwing a 50th anniversary gala on Saturday, September 9, and it promises to be quite the party.
If you know anything about Millay aside from her poetry, you know this event is in keeping with her infamous raucous gatherings at Steepletop. Not that the 50th anniversary bash will include Millay’s favorite activity: skinny dipping with her friends. But it will be filled with all sorts of creative people and activities. The day’s celebrations begin with an open house, featuring visual art installations in the studios and on the grounds, a VW Photobus and a silent auction of works created by alumni exclusively for the Gala. That’ll be followed with appetizers and cocktails by Billy Jack Paul of Moon Cloud, wine (courtesy of Chatham Wine & Liquor), beer selection by Return Brewing in Hudson, and a gourmet buffet dinner presented by SOMA Catering. Fleur Seule, a Manhattan-based retro jazz band, will provide the music, along with Master of Ceremonies alum Larry Krone. The night will end with fireworks and a bonfire after party in the meadow under the stars.
Guests of honor include James Lapine, stage director, playwright, screenwriter, and librettist who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1985 for “Sunday in the Park with George” — and most importantly for this occasion, a 1983 playwriting fellow. The event will also commemorate the centenary of Vincent’s (as Millay liked to be called) Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1923 — the first woman to receive that award —in conjunction with the neighboring nonprofit The Millay Society at Steepletop, along with Vassar College, Millay’s alma mater.
“The gala process has been an opportunity to get in touch with our alums, some of whom are lifelong collaborators,” says Monika Burczyk of Millay Arts. “We see this as a friend- and recognition-raising event." In an effort to galvanize community connections, they’ve created satellite programs in the community and partnered with Hawthorne Valley Farm. Four of its eight board members are local, The event also connects Millay Arts with The Millay Society, which oversees the historic house, garden and grounds, and includes Millay’s house, garden and grounds, and trails. After all, they do share the property and a devotion to its namesake.
Burzyk, who earlier ran a sculpture residency in central New York, always knew about Millay Arts. She had inquired about volunteering there, but was hired as co-director and manager of external affairs in 2018; she shares duties with Calliope Nicholas, co-director and manager of the residency programs. The lean staff also includes Donna Wertzel, the beloved chef/kitchen “magician” who has fed the residents for 25 years.
Millay Arts from Tara Kutz on Vimeo.
The Millay Colony for the Arts was established by Norma Millay Ellis, an artist and the sister of Edna St. Vincent Millay as an artist residency. In 1976 she donated the Barn — built from a Sears Roebuck kit in 1926 and transported to Steepletop by train, then horse and buggy — to the Colony. In 1997, Millay Arts built the ADA-compliant main house, which includes the private rooms, dining areas, and a shared kitchen.
“Millay Arts is very well known in creative circles, among both established and emerging artists,” Burczyk says. The list includes MacArthur and Pulitzer prizewinners. While in the beginning the residency was populated mostly by artists, writers, and composers, the program has been enthusiastically admitting a more inclusive selection of applicants, such as performance and multidisciplinary artists. Funding, primarily through grants, foundations and partnerships helps insure a diverse group of applicants. From March through November, Millay Arts hosts 6 to 7 individuals for either a two-week or month-long stay at Steepletop. These core residencies are fully subsidized by Millay Arts. A separate Steepletop Residency is partially subsidized but allows participants to schedule their residency in advance.
“We just provide the essential gift of time and space. The artists do the rest,” says Burczyk.
The 50th anniversary gala is touting itself as an event to celebrate connection, continuity, and creativity. You might have to wait another 50 years for an extravaganza like this to see what the best-kept secret’s been all about.
