Lecture Series 2026
Tuesday and Thursday evenings in July and August we will host a remarkable presenter who will speak on an interesting topic that is historic, interesting and relevant. Come early and enjoy a delicious healthy meal. Dinner is served at 6:00pm followed by our lecture at 7:00 pm. Price to attend the dinner and lecture is $40.00 and must be paid upon reservation. Lectures can be attended for $20.00.
Men may attend if accompanied by a woman in July and August. Please call 518-668-9690 to make a reservation or make an online reservation by clicking the links below. *If you are unable to attend the lecture your payment will be a donation to our historic 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization.
"Literary James Bond: A Progressive Guy. Really."
Presented by Frieda Toth
July 2nd, 2026
7:00pm-8:30pm
Do you have a man in your life who will listen to your ideas, take your advice, and not interrupt you when you talk? While that might be too good to be true, it's the actual character of LITERARY 007. The original books were surprisingly pro-women's bodily autonomy, environmentally aware, and so swoony that if they were marketed today it would take only a few changes to make most of them romances. Come learn about the captivating, liberal James Bond the books featured, and the movies tend to ignore; you may become a literary Bond fan, yourself.
Artist in Residence Talk and Showcase
July 9th, 2026
7:00pm-8:30pm
This is free to attend. To purchase dinner beforehand, call Wiawaka at 518-668-9690.
Join us for our Artists in Residence Talk & Showcase! Come meet the incredible women who have spent time creating, reflecting, and finding inspiration at Wiawaka. They’ll share insights into their creative journeys, show some of their work, and talk about how their time here influenced their art. Georgia O’Keeffe Presentation by Doreen Kelly
A personal presentation of Georgia's life in New Mexico with Doreen Kelly
July 15th 2025
4:00pm-5:30pm
This is a free presentation.
To sign up for this tour please call the front desk at 518-668-9690.
Georgia O'Keeffe Portrayed by Claire Nolan
July 14th, 2026
7:00pm-8:30pm
Presenter: Claire Nolan
Just the lecture is $20, get dinner and the lecture for just $40.
Claire Nolan is an educator and a storyteller. She has combined those two passions in her portrayals of important historical figures from US and world history. What are First Person Portrayals of Historic Characters? What can you expect during a performance? During a “first person” performance, the actor takes on the role of the historical figure. She dresses in period costume and may portray herself as a person who has no idea how things have changed since her historical period.
During her presentation Claire also hopes to provide a springboard for discussion of the historical character and her time and place. Claire’s repertoire includes Mary Harris (Mother) Jones, Rachel Carson, Georgia O’Keeffe and Marie Curie. She welcomes suggestions for other important women from history to add to her repertoire. Claire’s portrayals are especially appropriate for Middle School, High School and Adult audiences.
Georgia O'Keeffe: Her Art and Her Home
July 16th, 2026
7:00pm-8:30pm
Presenter: Kate Dudding
Just the lecture is $20, get dinner and the lecture for just $40.
Come listen to award winning storyteller Kate Dudding share three stories about Georgia O'Keeffe:
Did you ever wonder why Georgia O’Keeffe painted those huge flowers and the bones in the desert? Kate shows 25 photographs of Georgia’s paintings while sharing Georgia’s own words about them – a virtual tour by the artist herself.
From Clifton Park, NY, Kate Dudding specializes in true stories about people who made a difference. She has told stories at many venues in the Northeastern US. Many of her five CDS have received national storytelling awards. In 2010, she won the story slam (competition) at the National Storytelling Conference in Los Angeles. Visit her web site www.KateDudding.com to watch her tell some of her stories.
Wiawaka’s Archeology Dig with The Chapman Museum
July 21st, 2026
7:00pm-8:30pm
Presenter: Maureen Folk
Just the lecture is $20, get dinner and the lecture for just $40.
During this program we will be talking about the archaeological investigations at the Wiawaka Center for Women. In 2010, a small porcelain room number was found in the garden bed by a volunteer along with other fascinating artifacts. Join Maureen Folk, Outreach and Program Coordinator from The Chapman Museum in Glens Falls as she shares this extraordinary experience from a historical and personal perspective.
Ghost Fleet Awakened–Lake George's Sunken Bateaux of 1758 By Joseph W. Zarzynski, Maritime Archaeologist
July 23rd, 2026
7:00pm-8:30pm
Just the lecture is $20, get dinner and the lecture for just $40.
Wilton, NY maritime archaeologist Joseph W. Zarzynski will present a PowerPoint talk on his book, Ghost Fleet Awakened–Lake George’s Sunken Bateaux of 1758 (SUNY Press, 2019, 284 pages, $24.95).
The talk and book tell the story of a little-recognized sunken fleet of Lake George warships--bateaux--from the French & Indian War (1755–1763). From 1987 to 2011, Zarzynski was executive director of Bateaux Below, the nonprofit organization that studied colonial bateau-class shipwrecks in Lake George. The story begins more than 250 years ago, when bateaux (bateau in the singular) first plied the waters of Lake George. Though the word--bateau--is French, these boats were used in America by the colonial Dutch, French, and English.
American Archaeology magazine's Winter 2019–20 issue published a review of Zarzynski book, Ghost Fleet Awakened, and noted: "Zarzynski describes the various initiatives developed by him and his colleagues under the auspices of Bateaux Below. Much of this work was groundbreaking for maritime archaeology, and the story provides important precedents for marine preservation everywhere...This volume...is thus a major contribution to the entire field."
The Sembrich's American Polish Relief Committee
July 28th, 2026
7:00pm-8:30pm
Presenter: Caleb Eick
Just the lecture is $20, get dinner and the
lecture for just $40.
The Sembrich’s 2026 Exhibition “A Cause For Singing” brings a special lecture event to Wiawaka Center for Women. This exciting evening explores the history of the American Polish Relief Committee founded by soprano Marcella Sembrich. The Committee raised over $100,000 to aid the people of Poland who were caught in the crosshairs of the First World War and was the final cause for which the famed soprano raised her voice in song.
Caleb Eick (Curator & Director of Institutional Advancement - The Sembrich) is a performer, scholar, and arts administrator whose work centers on historic opera and American musical life. His scholarship explores operatic personalities of America’s Gilded Age, with particular focus on Marcella Sembrich, and he presents regularly on topics related to late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century performance history. An active vocalist, Caleb appears as a soloist and chamber musician, specializing in art song and collaborative repertoire. He holds degrees and certificates in voice performance and arts management from The College of Saint Rose, East Carolina University, and New York University.
A Musical Evening with Ray and Zane Agnew
July 30th, 2026
7:00pm-8:30pm
Just the lecture is $20, get dinner and the lecture for just $40.
Ray is a singer/songwriter and performer living and working in New York’s North Country. His original music has been heard from the 1980 Olympic Winter Games, to television and radio commercials, to corporate soundtracks for Sky Chefs and the United Way. Most recently Ray composed the theme and soundtrack for “My Native Air,” a documentary on the life of Charles Evans Hughes. He is a graduate of the Crane School of Music, a member of ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) and a proud dad to two amazing kids. In addition to his original music, Ray has a repertoire that includes Dan Fogelberg, James Taylor, the Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, Billy Joel,
Richard Thompson, Simon and Garfunkle, The Moody Blues, and many others. Ray is also director of music ministry at Bay Road Church in Lake George and serves as a vice president at Glens Falls Hospital. You can listen to Ray’s music at www.rayagnewsongs.com.
“Wonders of the Woodlands in Story and Song”
August 4th, 2026
7:00pm-8:30pm
With Eileen Egan Mack and Michael Clement
Just the lecture is $20, get dinner and the lecture for just $40.
“Wonders of the Woodlands in Story and Song” features tales from the natural world and songs to celebrate trees, birds, the sea and sky. The program features music from the jazz repertoire, “Lullaby of the Leaves,” “The Sweetheart Tree,” and “Willow Weep for Me,” complemented by John Duke’s “The Bird,” among other art and folk songs. The musical and spoken word program is presented by storyteller/vocalist Eileen Egan Mack and pianist Michael Clement.
Eileen Egan Mack is a vocalist whose repertoire is ever broadening, from jazz standards and pop songs, to the world of classical music, especially art songs. She has a lifelong love of music and a lifelong practice of music performance including as a lead singer in rock bands, big bands, and jazz ensembles, as well as musical theatre roles.
Michael Clement, pianist, has studied at the Eastman School of Music, the Chautauqua Institute, the University of Arizona and the University of Southern California. He was pianist for the Tucson Symphony, Assistant Conductor for the Long Beach Opera and director of the Opera Workshop at California State University at Long Beach and has served on the staff of Florentine Opera at Milwaukee. Locally, Michael has served as the Music Director for Opera Excelsior, and staff accompanist for Skidmore College and the College of St. Rose.
Poetry Readings with Susan Jefts and Carol Graser
August 6th, 2026
7:00pm-8:30pm
Just the lecture is $20, get dinner and the lecture for just $40.
Carol Graser is the author of the poetry collections, Prayer for the Sorrowful Brain (Kelsay Books, 2025) and The Wild Twist of Their Stems (Foothills Publishing 2007) She hosts the fourth Tuesday of the month poetry reading at Caffe Lena, a series that she initiated in 2003. Her work has been published in many literary journals, including Apricity Magazine, The Berkeley Poetry Review, Evening Street Review, Hollins Critic, I-70 Review, The MacGuffin, Midwifery Today, So to Speak, Southern Poetry Review, and Midwest Quarterly. She lives with her husband in the Adirondacks of upstate New York, where they raised three children, countless chickens, and a few cats. carolgraser.com
Susan Jefts is a poet from the southern Adirondacks of New York State where she returned in 2021 to build a mountainside home on family land overlooking Lake George. Her book, Breathing Lessons, was published in Fall of 2023 by Shanti Arts. Her work has appeared in many journals and anthologies including A Slant of Light, Parnassus Literary Journal, Big City Lit, Birchsong, Quiet Diamonds, Best of Burlington Writers, Plant-Human Quarterly, Writing the Land: Wanderings II; BlueStone Review, Blue Line Literary Magazine, The Gardan Journal, and Fired Up, among others. She works as a manuscript consultant, columnist, and workshop leader using poetry to immerse ourselves more deeply in the experience of our lives and our connections to place and the natural world.
Laughing Matters: Tales to Tickle your Funny Bone with Kate Dudding
August 11th, 2026
7:00pm-8:30pm
Just the lecture is $20, get dinner and the lecture for just $40.
Children laugh 40 times more per day than adults -- that's just not right! Come help improve your laughing average as Kate Dudding shares personal stories, folk tales and maybe even a tall tale or two.
Since 1995, award-winning storyteller Kate Dudding has created entertaining, heartwarming and memorable stories. She specializes in stories about real people who made a difference. Kate tells at venues in the Northeastern USA, including The Clearwater Festival, First Night Saratoga, and the Albany Institute of History & Art. Many of her five CDs received national awards. Visit her web site www.KateDudding.com to watch her tell some of her stories.
Eleanor Roosevelt performed by Sheryl Faye
August 13th, 2026
7:00pm-8:30pm
Just the lecture is $20,
get dinner and the lecture for just $40.
After suffering through an unhappy childhood, and losing her parents and one of her brothers., he figured out where she fit in and could make a difference. She grew up and became an American politician. The longest-serving First Lady of the United States. She was the first presidential spouse to hold press conferences, write a syndicated newspaper column, and speak at a national convention.
She advocated for expanded roles for women in the workplace, the civil rights of African Americans and Asian Americans, and the rights of World War II refugees. She became one of the first delegates to The United Nations. One of the top ten most admired people of the 20th century. “…as individuals we live cooperatively, and, to the best of our ability, serve the community in which we live…our own success, to be real, must contribute.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“Katrina Trask’s Saratoga Legacy”
Rumara Jewett, with readings by Tamie Ehinger and Michael Belanger
August 17th, 2026
7:00pm-8:30pm
Just the lecture is $20,
get dinner and the lecture for just $40.
Eminent Saratogian Katrina Trask (1853-2022), author, philanthropist, visionary, and founder of the Yaddo Artist Residency which first opened 100 years ago in 1926, co-founded Wiawaka in 1903 along with Troy resident Mary Wiltsie Fuller. We review Katrina Trask’s inspiring legacy, with a focus on the considerable role she played in the Town (City as of 1915) of Saratoga Springs.
Costumed readers will interpret quotes from period documents. Readings from Mrs. Trask’s works are interspersed with historical narrative and period newspaper accounts, describing her work and her productive partnership with her husband Spencer and their close friend George Foster Peabody. This presentation offers a documentary-style historical overview of the remarkable woman who in 1908 would gift to Mary Fuller the Wiawaka property in exchange for “a bunch of May flowers.”
“For the Love of Roses”
August 18th, 2026
7:00pm-8:30pm
With Eileen Egan Mack and Michael Clement
Just the lecture is $20, get dinner and the lecture for just $40.
“For the Love of Roses”-a bouquet of tunes celebrating the Rose, such as “Red is the Rose,” “The Rose,” “Misty Roses,” “Spanish Harlem,” “Only a Rose,” among others. This program of ‘rose’ music is in honor of Katrina Trask whose love of roses is reflected in the public rose garden she created, in the decorative arts in her home, and in her poetry and music. Several of Mrs. Trask’s songs will round out the program presented by vocalist Eileen Egan Mack and pianist Michael Clement.
Eileen Egan Mack is a vocalist whose repertoire is ever broadening, from jazz standards and pop songs, to the world of classical music, especially art songs. She has a lifelong love of music and a lifelong practice of music performance including as a lead singer in rock bands, big bands, and jazz ensembles, as well as musical theatre roles.
Michael Clement, pianist, has studied at the Eastman School of Music, the Chautauqua Institute, the University of Arizona and the University of Southern California. He was pianist for the Tucson Symphony, Assistant Conductor for the Long Beach Opera and director of the Opera Workshop at California State University at Long Beach and has served on the staff of Florentine Opera at Milwaukee. Locally, Michael has served as the Music Director for Opera Excelsior, and staff accompanist for Skidmore College and the College of St. Rose.
“The Universality of Katrina Trask”
Rumara Jewett with Lezlie Dana as Katrina Trask
August 20th, 2026
7:00pm-8:30pm
Just the lecture is $20,
get dinner and the lecture for just $40.
Katrina Trask (1852 – 1922) founded Wiawaka Holiday House in 1903 along with Troy resident Mary Fuller. Mrs. Trask is best known today as visionary founder of the Yaddo Artist Residency at her home in Saratoga Springs; the first artists arrived at Yaddo 100 years ago in 1926. 18 years earlier, artists including George O’Keefe arrived at Wiawaka to participate in a Lake George artist residency called Amitola. We listen as Katrina Trask talks about her spiritual exploration, her social activism, Lake George, Wiawaka, Amitola and other topics.
Discovering George Foster Peabody
August 21st, 2026
7:00pm-8:30pm
Just the lecture is $20, get dinner and the lecture for just $40.
Over the past eight years, Underwood has meticulously researched and documented Peabody’s friendships with Edward Morse Shepard, Spencer and Katrina Trask, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Adolph Ochs, and John Howard Melish, among others. His work also explores Peabody’s role in regional projects such as Prospect Mountain, Shepard Park, Diamond Island, the Wiawaka Center for Women, the Lake George Association, the Caldwell-Lake George Library, the Saratoga Reservation Commission, Saratoga Spa State Park, the New York State Forest Tree Nursery, and Yaddo.
The culmination of this research is Underwood’s 500+ page book, Discovering George Foster Peabody, a comprehensive work that brings together archival research, correspondence, and rare photographs to reintroduce one of New York’s most quietly influential figures to modern readers.
Glenn Underwood is an artist, author, and historian from Upstate New York whose family operates Twin Birches Cottages in Lake George, a property that stands on the former grounds of Abenia, the summer estate of banker and philanthropist George Foster Peabody.