The retired award-winning educator’s show features 12 paintings including “Light Script,” “Sturbridge Village Kitchen” and “Frozen February.”

Wiley celebrates his 78th birthday today.

“Ukrainian Christmas, and I’m Ukrainian,” he said.

“My father changed the name (Wilchynsky) for business purposes.”

“Sturbridge Kitchen Maid,” an acrylic painting by Ken Wiley. (Photo provided)

Wiley chose art because he wanted a passion he could pursue all his life.

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Talent meets opportunity

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After graduating with a master’s of fine arts degree from the University of Iowa, he came here when North Country Community College was opening.

“I had my papers in University of Iowa’s Placement Bureau,” he said.

“It got notified there was an opening for an art teacher at North Country Community College.

“This was in January of 1968, and the college was due to open in September of ’68.”

Wiley was interviewed in Saranac Lake by Dr. George Hobson, college president, who picked him up at the airport on a brilliant sunny day with three-foot snow drifts.

“There wasn’t any faculty,” Wiley said.

“There was, maybe, a dean. So I didn’t have to go before a committee. I interviewed and was hired around Feb. 1 to start an art department at North Country.”

At Iowa, Wiley and his peers’ plans were to become working artists not necessarily teachers.

“We weren’t taking education courses or anything like that,” he said.

“It was a baptism of fire when we started out. Fortunately in the beginning of North Country, we didn’t have many students.

“Most of the people who took art from me were doctors’ wives living in Saranac Lake. It was nice working with mature people. Even though I studied art, I really learned it from teaching.”

Wiley remained at his post for 35 years and retired in 2003.

“After I left, they started a BFA transfer program, but most of my students took it as an elective, art as a humanities elective,” he said.

“The attitude at North Country was a general education. Let them sample area of the humanities, social sciences, science, math, etc.”

Wiley taught painting, drawing, sculpture, pottery and photography.

He worked along with his students to inspire them, and he worked on his art between classes.

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Full circle

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Some of his former students are fellow Guild members.

“I never really painted the Adirondacks,” Wiley said.

“I don’t consider myself an Adirondack painter. I’m a painter in the Adirondacks, but my subject isn’t the Adirondacks.”

Wiley is a traditionalist, and admires great artists of the past such as Vermeer, Caravaggio and Cezanne.

“That’s what I prefer to do,” he said.

“When I first came here, I was a semi-abstract painter, which didn’t fit in at all to the Adirondacks. When I took up watercolor, I changed my style. I became much more representational and more traditional.”

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To view

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What: “Ken Wiley Retrospective”

Where: Adirondack Artists Guild, 52 Main St., Saranac Lake

Hours: Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is advised to call ahead at 518-891-2615, or email, if traveling from any distance, to be sure the Gallery is open, especially if weather is unfavorable. Individual viewings can be arranged by contacting the gallery or any of the artists.

More info: AdirondackArtistsGuild.com