Using arts and cultural tourism to spark interest in the Adirondacks will be the subject of an Adirondack Cultural Symposium on Thursday in Lake Placid.

According to Lee Keet, a board member of event sponsor ADK Action, the symposium is expecting more than 100 attendees from the region’s arts and culture organizations.

Keet believes that tourism based on environment and culture, will be a main driver for the Adirondack economy in the future.  He cited the success of Saranac Lake’s Third Thursday Art Walks and the buzz they have generated downtown as an example of what is possible.

The symposium hopes to bring together key players from the cultural community to discuss how organizations can work together to boost membership and attendance; utilize county, state and federal support services; and identify opportunities for collaboration and cross-promotion. “Many organizations in the region don’t have grant writers,” Keet said. “Yet there is money available to finance many of their projects through the New York State Council on the Arts, Empire State Development and others. If we can share resources, we can do more.”

Symposium presentations are expected from New York Council on the Arts Executive Director Lisa Robb; Richard Newman, Executive VP of State Marketing Strategy for Empire State Development; and Gavin Landry, the Executive Director of Tourism for I LOVE NEW YORK.  Bill Farber, former head of the Adirondack Association of Towns and Villages and the current Board Chair of Hamilton County, will present the Adirondack Partnership’s work to promote cultural and environmental tourism in the Adirondacks. Three panel discussions made of industry stakeholders will follow the presentations and include topics such as: creative thinking and collaboration in the Adirondacks and opportunities and challenges for museums, historic sites, and visual and performing arts.

Moderators Jim Herman and David Mason from the Adirondack Futures Project will facilitate three breakout sessions covering performing arts, museums and visual arts/arts promotion organizations. According to Keet, a successful outcome from the event would be, “three working groups led by dynamic, committed leaders with broadly defined goals, ready to take on next-step activities.”

The symposium will be this Thursday, September 10th, 2015 at the Olympic Conference Center in Lake Placid. A video of the event is being planned for distribution at ADK Action’s webpage.

Photo: Plein air painter Kirk Larsen works on the sidewalk in front of a gallery in Saranac Lake while street musicians entertain. Photo by Jack LaDuke.