The Young Years

The Young Years celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of the Skidmore Jazz Institute. In this exhibition, works of art recently acquired by the museum reflect various aspects of the Jazz Institute and its founder Don McCormack.

McCormack has been and continues to be an influential figure at Skidmore College and beyond. Starting in the 1970s, he taught courses on civil rights, political theory, American government, and contemporary black politics. As Dean of Special Programs from 1985 to 2005, he oversaw the development of world-class programs such as the New York State Summer Writers Institute, Skidmore Summer Dance Workshop, and SITI Company Summer Theater Workshop. With his experiences as an educator, administrator, and music lover, he founded the Jazz Institute in 1987.

This exhibition, planned in conjunction with an upcoming book of the same title, is in tribute to McCormack and the many students and faculty who have participated in the last three decades of the Jazz Institute. The artworks on display aren't meant to be a literal illustration of the Jazz Institute; rather, they represent the Institute's spirit of honoring tradition while also celebrating the new.

The Young Years is curated by Dayton Director Ian Berry and is supported by Friends of the Tang.