Summer Exhibits and Awards - Ceramics, Pastels and Rustic Tomorrow

Some of the Region's Best Ceramics on Exhibit in Lake Placid
“Contemporary Ceramics Invitational” which includes the works of 26 artists, is featured at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts through July 6. The exhibit features ceramics works by the following artists: Art Baird of Holland Patent; Regis Brodie of Gansevoort; Anne L. Burnham of Parishville; Cheri Cross of Jay; Robert Crystal of Cornwall, Vt.; Kierstin Egge of Elizabethtown; Leslie Ferst of Cambridge; Karen Ford of Westport, Conn.; Melissa Greene of Deer Isle, Maine; Julia Gronski of Jay; Lee Kazanas of Jay; Myung Rye Kim of Baltimore, Md.; Ron Korczynski of Natrona Heights, Pa; Ronald Larsen of Canton; Berry Matthews of Plattsburgh; Joel Neff of Bronx; Christine Owen of Wappinger Falls; Mary Lou Reid of Saranac Lake; Jackie Sabourin of Plattsburgh; Robert Segall of Upper Jay; Peter Shrope of Rainbow Lake; Andrew Van Assche of Plainfield, Mass.; Carol Vossler of Saranac Lake; Erik Wilson of Peru; and Sue and Terrance Young of Jay. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, June 4

Awards at Northeast National Pastel Exhibit
From ninety-one pastel entries in the exhibit, twenty one were selected to receive awards. Among those were Art, Craft and Foods publication participants, Martha Deming, of Remsen, who received an award for "Trio" and David Francis, a member of the Shirt Factory Artist Association, who received an award and $100 for "The Game Shelf". The organizer of the exhibit, Arts Center/Old Forge, is also in Art, Crafts and Foods this year. Adirondack Express, May 27

Art, Crafts and Foods
The Art, Crafts and Foods along the Scenic Byways of the Adirondack North Country is a 12 page, full color booklet featuring 51 artisans and shopowners or organizations which make and/or sell regionally made creations. 40,000 has been printed and distributed to 2600 distribution points (lodgings, chambers and others) from Lake Champlain and the Canadian border to the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario to the Mohawk River. Download a copy from http://www.AdkNCcrafts.com or contact ANCA to request one at 518.891.6200 or anca@northnet.org.

Rustic Tomorrow at Adirondack Museum
The exhibit pairs six makers of Adirondack rustic furniture with six architects and designers. It is the brainchild of Lake Placid interior designer and author Ann Stillman O'Leary, who came up with the idea while touring the American West where contemporary rustic design is popular. She wanted to jump-start the concept in the Adirondacks, where traditional rustic without the modern flair is the norm. One of the six pairings is Wayne Ignatuk, of Jay, and architect David M. Chlld who create a child's desk with a swivel chair and birdhouse cabinet. All materials used had to be indigenous to the region.
The exhibit runs through Oct. 19 at the Adirondack Museum and then is at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts from Nov. 7 through Dec. 13. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, May 23

Economic Downturn in Vegas Indicates Visitors More Likely To Vacation Closer to Home
"Executives (in Vegas) worry this recession could be different from the last two - in 1990-91 and 2001 - when consumer spending was propped up by easy credit. Now credit is drying up. And high gas and food prices, declining home values and rising unemployment are keeping many Americans closer to home." The Gazette, Montreal, Friday, May 9, 2008. Article by Clifford Kraus originally published in NY Times.

Associate Adirondacks to Your Product or Shop to Appeal to Broadest Audience
Businesses can change their keywords on their websites and in their advertising to appeal to the most visitors traveling to the Adirondack North Country. To maximize the appeal to the broadest audience, for businesses or communities located in or near the Adirondack region, it is important to include terms identifying their relationship to the Adirondacks as well as what is unique to the business or community.
As an example, the just released market study executed by Longwoods International for the Lake Placid/Essex County Visitor's Bureau indicates that potential visitors show more interest in the image the term Adirondacks conotates than the image of the Olympics that Lake Placid presents. As a result of the study, Lake Placid will most likely include descriptive terms about the Adirondacks in its marketing copy as well as the descriptive terms describing the community to appeal to the broadest audience. The 2,000 surveyed for the market research were from the Northeast.
Out of 50 possible motivators, the ones most likely to commit visitors to coming to the region were family atmosphere, exciting activities, worry-free visit, unique and sightseeing. Again, if your business or community uses these descriptive terms indicating those are found at your location, it will more likely appeal to the broadest audience. The complete Longwood Market Research 600 page pdf is posted at http://lakeplacidmedia.com/generalPDFs.cfm?category=longwoods. Public presentation, Lake Placid, May 8, report by Korths

New Artisans Group Forms Along the St. Lawrence River
The first Studio Tour for this new group from the Morristown/Ogdensburg area is scheduled for August 16 and 17, 2008 at 7 to 9 locations. Debra Monteith, painter, is the main driving force. Others being contacted or already involved are Mary Ann Evans, potter; June Ross, Ethel Slocum, painter; Melanie Connor, lampwork, jewelry; Wayne Brown, iron sculpture; Don Morley, duck decoys; Marty Snye, John Miller, miniature painted canoe paddles; Sally and Kyle Hartman, Ladies First Gallery of Art; Steve Chambers, Steve Kroeger, Slyvie Kring, Jack Taylor, Tim Tiernan, glass works; and John Morrow. FMI: contact Deb Monteith at 315.375.4869 or at dmonteith@hotmail.com. Email from Karan Cross, The Wild Inside, 1.28.2008.