Art in the Adirondacks

It's no surprise that the Adirondacks have such a thriving arts community: the region's vast forests, peaceful waterways, and scenic mountains have long served as a muse for the creative, including authors, composers, and painters. Lake Placid's striking landscape offers an inspirational backdrop more beautiful and more vivid than one can imagine, and it changes with each new season.

Today, artists of all kinds are inspired by the natural setting and solitude of the mountains. Lake Placid boasts several venues for the arts and hosts a variety of performances — from classical music to family-friendly shows, and from comedy acts to community plays and musicals. There are many events and enriching family activities available throughout the year.

Planning ahead? Mark your calendars for these artsy, exciting events!

The Adirondacks are home to professional and community theaters, studios, and renowned music schools. Likewise, museums and historical societies dot the region, preserving Lake Placid's history and displaying artifacts of the Adirondacks' storied past.

Art Centers and Galleries

The Lake Placid Center for the Arts, a performing and visual arts facility, offers programs in the areas of music, theater, dance, art, and film. The LPCA hosts two galleries, and a variety of on-line and in-person workshops and classes. The LPCA website is updated regularly with new classes, workshops and events.

Similarly, the Lake Placid Institute works to enhance and celebrate cultural life throughout the Adirondacks. Working with other regional arts organizations, the Institute develops and presents programs including chamber music seminars, roundtable discussions, and poetry and photo contests, among others.

While you're in town, be sure to stop by Gallery 46 and The Curious Otter on Main Street in Lake Placid!

Olympic Art

Many pieces of art commissioned for the 1980 Winter Olympic Games remain throughout Lake Placid:

• James Buchman, Vans for Ruth, a sculpture made of granite and iron, found in front of the Mountain Pass Lodge at the base of Mt Van Hoevenberg. 
• Joel Perlman, High Peaks, a steel sculpture located on the shore of Mirror Lake between the Village Beach and the Lake Placid Toboggan Run. 
• Lyman Kipp, Placid, a metal sculpture outside Lake Placid Center for the Arts.
• Linda Howard, Maya, an optical illusion sculpture, located in the convenience store parking lot across from the Placid Center for the Arts (the sculpture originally stood in a field that belonged to the Lake Placid Center for the Arts).
• Nancy Holt, 30 Below, a brick tower next to the Lake Placid Community Garden on Old Military Road.
• Don Nice, Untitled, two large murals located at the ice rink facing the Lake Placid high school.
• Leon Schriener, Olympic Freedom, a metal sculpture on display inside the Olympic Museum.
• Carl Nesjar, Sonja Henie Ice Fountain, outside the Olympic Arena and Olympic Museum.