Artwork by recent graduate featured by renowned jazz 节日

For the second year in a row, a 火博体育大学 student’s artwork is decorating the walls of coffee shops, museums, offices and hotels in 萨拉托加温泉市, New York, and even the clothing of local residents and tourists, to promote one of the premier summer music events in the Northeast.

Through a partnership between Skidmore and Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), recent graduate Maddy Tyler ’21 is the artist behind the official artwork for the 44th annual Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival 在SPAC.

She and 12 other students began the design process back in February when, as part of Associate Professor Deborah Hall’s course on communications 和设计, they met virtually with SPAC leadership to understand the vision and branding for the 2021 节日. Then, they each got to work translating their “client’s” desires into marketable designs that would be presented as options for SPAC’s consideration.

Tyler, a student who blended arts and sciences during her time at Skidmore, says the whole experience was a perfect fit for her. “As a computer science major, creative projects like this got me super excited about a career that combines both technology 和设计. I really en快乐ed the collaborative process, working with SPAC and incorporating 他们对我设计的反馈. It was also something fun to look forward to and focus 在大流行期间.”

The SPAC team, which included Leslie Coleman-Smith, general manager, and Chris Shiley, senior director of artistic planning, reported being “blown away” by the student submissions and overwhelmed by the thought of having to choose only one from the robust selection. Tyler’s design ultimately won them over.  

The elaborate design has been circulating for several months on Jazz Fest merchandise 以及宣传材料. Its full unveiling will be at the 节日, Saturday, June 26, and Sunday, June 27, where fans will be able to purchase collectable T-shirts 和海报. T-shirts can also be purchased online through the 火博体育商店.  

Skidmore and SPAC have a long, collaborative history that has often taken the form of co-sponsorships and promotions of economically and culturally impactful arts programming 萨拉托加斯普林斯地区. The Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival purposely 恰逢开始 火博体育爵士学院， a Skidmore summer program that helps burgeoning musicians perfect their skills. 这 year, Skidmore’s Jazz Institute workshops will be offered virtually from June 27 through 7月9日. Guest artists will also perform for limited audiences 在SPAC和Caffè莉娜.

Over the years, partnerships between Skidmore and SPAC have also included academic 协作，例如 past work with the Skidmore Student Consulting Partnership (a capstone management and business course), 联合音乐会, countless internships and, of course, thousands of Skidmore graduates who will never forget walking across the SPAC stage during Commencement.

Above all, collaborations of this kind help create opportunities for students like Tyler, who is taking her recently earned diploma and SPAC accolades to New York City as she begins her career as a designer and web developer.

For more information about the Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival, 浏览活动网页.