Saranac Lake ArtWorks has announced their 4th Annual “Paint-Out” at the Paul Smith’s VIC has been set to run from September 1st to 8th, 2018. Like the Adirondack Plein Air Festival, which just concluded, the “Paint-Out” focuses on painting the Adirondack environment, which includes people and buildings and activities and wildlife as well as the landscape itself.

The Paul Smith’s College VIC (Visitor Interpretive Center) is located about a mile north of the college campus on Route 30. The building houses two gallery spaces, an interpretive display about the Adirondacks, classrooms, offices, and a small gift shop.

Currently on display in the Heron Marsh Gallery is a exhibit of paintings of butterflies, moths, and pollinators by Lisa McLaughlin, which will close on Sept 3rd. In the Great Room Gallery is “10 Years of Plein Air.” It consists of paintings by the 5 artists who have participated in all 10 years of the Adirondack Plein Air Festival: Jacqueline Altman (Lake Placid), Nancy Brossard (Lake Clear), Tarryl Gabel (Poughkeepsie), Sandra Hildreth (Saranac Lake), and Diane Leifheit (Gabriels). It will also start coming down on Sept 3, to be replaced with the VIC “Paint-Out” paintings.

The “Paint-Out” at the VIC has no set schedule. Artists may come and leave and paint whenever they wish on both VIC property and the college campus, as well as other nearby locations like Mountain Pond, Osgood Pond, Jones Poind and Lake Clear. The event will kick off with a special reception, dinner and nocturne painting at the Lodge at Lake Clear. This will also be a celebration of the St Regis Fire Tower (visible across the Lake) and a special lighting ceremony. The public is welcome to attend this “Evening of Light, Art, Foods, Colors, and History”, which begins at 5 pm.

Like the VIC and the college, the beach area of the Lake Clear Lodge has a broad view of St. Regis Mountain and gorgeous sunsets to the west. The “Paint-Out” artists are invited to bring their paints and easels and set up in the afternoon, and/or wait for the sun to set and try their hand at recording the colors of sundown in a nocturne painting by firelight. Spectators are welcome to come watch and enjoy some food and refreshments.

The Paul Smith’s College VIC offers mountain views, forests with massive old growth trees, wetlands, ponds, brooks, waterfalls, boardwalks through a bog, wildflowers and more. The 25 miles of well-maintained trails invite artists, families with children, joggers, bird watchers and botanists, and anyone who can walk to come and explore. Several of the trails are very easily accessible. Most popular with the artists are the Heron Marsh Trail, the Barnum Brook Trail, and the Boreal Life Trail. The trail at Black Pond is also well used. Check the VIC schedule for things like guided walks, talks, and classes.

The results of the “Paint-Out”, which is open to any and all artists, will be on display in the Great Room Gallery through October 8. The building is scheduled to be open 7 days a week, from 9 am to 5 pm. More event and registration information is available online. For questions, contact Sandy Hildreth at sandrahildreth@icloud.com or (518) 891-1388.

Photo of Painting of Heron Marsh by Sandra Hildreth.