Recently received from the Adirondack Museum, the announcement of a new project that takes Adirondack rustic design into the future. The exhibit will be an interesting addition to the ongoing (until October 31) Adirondack Rustic: Nature’s Art 1876 - 1950. Sounds like a great time to visit the museum. Locals get into the museum free during a few weeks in May (something they don't advertise anymore, so give them a call for dates), but if you can't make it then, here is a link to a $2.00 discount (see the "special offer" at the right, mid-page).
The Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake, New York will introduce a very special exhibit this season called Rustic Tomorrow. Six modernist and post modernist architects or designers have been paired with prominent Adirondack rustic furniture makers. The results of these collaborations are one-of-a-kind pieces, distinctly futuristic in design, but constructed using traditional time-honored techniques.
The goal of the project is to demonstrate the relevance of Adirondack rustic traditions to contemporary life and design.
Rustic Tomorrow will be on exhibit at the Adirondack Museum from May 23 through October 19, 2008. The exhibition will travel to the Lake Placid Center for the Arts, Lake Placid, N.Y. for a November 7 through December 13,2008 showing, and to the Munson-Williams-Proctor Art Institute in Utica, N.Y. from February 14 to April 19, 2009.
The six unique pieces that are Rustic Tomorrow will be displayed at D. Wigmore Fine Art, Inc. Gallery in New York City in April 2009. They will be sold at auction to benefit the Adirondack Museum.
Ann Stillman O'Leary, who founded her firm, Evergreen House Interiors, Inc, Lake Placid, N.Y. in 1989, originated the Rustic Tomorrow project. O'Leary has established a solid reputation in the field of interior design. Known for leading the renaissance in rustic architecture and interior design, she is sought after for her distinctive style that is both rustic and refined. O'Leary is the author of the best selling books Adirondack Style and Rustic Revisited. She has been featured on the Today Show, HGTV radio, Cabin Life, House and Garden Channel and in numerous national publications.
The Participant Partners
David M. Childs joined the firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in 1971 after serving on the Pennsylvania Avenue Commission. Mr. Child's diverse range of design projects circle the globe. He is the designer for the World Trade Center Tower 1 at the World Trade Center site, and the new Pennsylvania Station at the historic Farley Post Office building in New York City. His more recently completed work includes the new 7 World Trade Center and the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle. Childs is a Fellow, American Institute of Architects (FAIA). His work has been widely published.
Wayne Ignatuk, owner of Swallowtail Studios in Jay, N.Y., spent eighteen years as an engineer in the laser industry before his woodworking hobby became a career. His style has evolved from twig chairs and tables to more complex designs he describes as "organic arts and crafts." Ignatuk's work has been profiled on HGTV's "The Good Life," in the book Adirondack Home, in Adirondack Life magazine and other publications. He exhibits his work at the finest rustic shows in the country.
In 1998 The New York Times declared Dennis Wedlick a "rising star in architecture." The "rise" has continued as Wedlick's work has garnered awareness and accolades in both the media and architecture community. He began his career working with world-renowned architect Philip Johnson. His own firm, Dennis Wedlick Architect, LLC has become synonymous with quality, craft, and the best in contemporary picturesque design. He was recently named to Architecture Digest's AD 100 - showcasing the top international designers and architects.
Rustic furniture artist Barney Bellinger is the owner of Sampson Bog Studio, Mayfield, N.Y. It is an art studio where bark, twigs and natural materials are gathered into the hands of a craftsman inspired by the logging trails, wildlife refuges, fly fishing sites, and the Great Camps of the Adirondacks. Furniture created by Barney Bellinger has been exhibited at the National Museum of Wildlife Art, the Adirondack Museum, and the Ralph Kylloe Gallery, and appears in the permanent collections of the Orvis Company and the Smithsonian Institution.
Michael Graves has been at the forefront of architecture and design since he founded his firm in 1964. Michael Graves and Associates - the architecture and interior design practices, and Michael Graves Design Group - the product and graphic design group, have received more than 185 awards for design excellence. Design projects range from urban architecture to consumer products. Graves himself received the American Institute of Architect's Gold Medal, the highest award bestowed on an individual as well as twelve honorary doctorates. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
The work of Furniture Artist Jason Henderson stands out for its ability to push the tradition of Adirondack style furniture into new and interesting design areas. His interpretation of rusticity is closely aligned with studio furniture and contemporary furniture design. His work has an "edge" and has earned a bit of notoriety. "Dining Chair" (2003) received the Most Original Design award at the Adirondack Museum's Annual Rustic Fair and was purchased by the museum for the permanent collection. He was profiled by Adirondack Life magazine in 2006 in an article aptly called "Mr. Henderson Presents." Henderson lives and works in the Lake George, N.Y. area.
Thomas Cardone has had a long career as an Art Director in the film industry. He spent thirteen years with The Walt Disney Company in Burbank, California before joining 20th Century Fox' New York-based Blue Sky Studios in 2002. His most recent project has been art direction for "Dr. Seuss's Horton Hears a Who!" which premiered in the spring of 2008. Among Cardone's many film credits are "Ice Age: The Melt Down;" "Robots;" "Chicken Little;" "The Emperor's New Groove;" and "Pocahontas."
Russ Gleaves love of nature began when he moved to a log cabin in the Adirondacks as a young child. Raised in Queens, N.Y. Bill Coffey has created custom furniture with many of New York City's finest craftsmen. His love for the Adirondacks - nurtured as a child on vacation - led him to Northville, N.Y. in 1999. There he met Russ, and the pair has been creating one-of-a-kind innovative rustic furniture ever since. The duo takes pride in crafting pieces that will be passed down through many generations. Customers in Wyoming, Wisconsin, New York City, and Japan have commissioned their
work.
Allan Shope has been an architect and furniture maker for thirty years. He founded the distinguished architectural firm of Shope, Reno, Wharton Associates in 1981. Shope's abiding interest in the use of sustainable building materials, land use, and alternative non-fossil energy sources led to him to found Listening Rock Farm and Environmental Center in Armenia, N.Y. The focus is on man's problematic relationship with the earth around him. "Carbon neutral" is the minimum standard for the Center.
Judd Weisberg has his home and studio in Lexington, Greene County, New York in the Catskills surrounded by rivers, lakes, and streams, which inform his life and work as an artist, designer, teacher, and environmentalist. He creates furniture environments for the home, business, and for sets and properties for performing arts applications. Finishes are non-toxic and are expressive of the burnished or matte looks found in nature. His work is in private collections and homes nationwide Nils Luderowski is an architect whose practice is about residential architecture and design in an Adirondack vernacular. His studio offers traditional architectural services including site planning, interior design, furniture design, and custom artisan work. Luderowski pioneered the "New Adirondack Style" of architecture, an authentic blend of Shingle, Craftsman, Prairie and regional expressions, incorporating modern living requirements and current technology. In the mid 1990s he settled in Keene, N.Y. in the High Peaks Region of the Adirondack Mountains.
Creating unique and functional art has been Jay Dawson's passion since he began designing pieces over 20 years ago. A self-taught craftsman, he has worked with wood in some form for most of his life. He is well known for both furniture and stairways and has developed a reputation for custom creations. He works with clients, architects, and interior designers to ensure that each piece meets expectations for beauty, quality and functionality. Dawson's work has appeared in many publications including Smithsonian Magazine, Log Home Living, and the book Rustic Furniture by
Daniel Mack. He created archways for Woodstock 1999, the 2000 Goodwill Games, and the 2000 Empire State Games.
The Adirondack Museum has the finest collection of historic Adirondack rustic furniture and furnishings, not in private hands, in the country. The museum hosts an annual Rustic Fair in the fall. The fair attracts more than sixty highly skilled rustic craftsmen from all parts of the United States and Canada, and is the largest rustic show in the eastern part of the country. The 21st Annual Rustic Fair is planned for September 5, 6, and 7, 2008.
The Adirondack Museum is a regional museum of art, history and material culture. It is nationally known for extensive collections, exhibits, and research library that together reflect stories of life, work, and play in the Adirondack Park and northern New York State. The museum celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007. To learn about all the Adirondack Museum as to offer, please visit www.adirondackmuseum.org.
The Adirondack Museum tells the story of the Adirondacks through exhibits, special events, classes for schools, and hands-on activities for visitors of all ages. The museum will open for a new season on May 23, 2008, introducing a new exhibit Rustic Tomorrow. For information about upcoming exhibits and programs, please call (518) 352-7311, or visit www.adirondackmuseum.org.
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From a recent Adirondack Museum Press release:
, with volumes 1-5 in stores now. He owns/operates Hungry Bear Publishing and lives in Saranac Lake, N.Y. During the day, he is the Senior Public Information Specialist at the NYS Adirondack Park Agency Visitor Interpretive Center in Paul Smiths.
