SARANAC LAKE — Ninety-one artists from all over the country have applied to participate in the Adirondack Plein Air Festival in Saranac Lake next week. Only 40 were selected.

From Aug. 12-17, the artists — some coming from as far away as Texas, Ohio, Illinois, Virginia and Maryland — will visit the area to participate. The artists will spend five-and-a-half days and nights outdoors painting landscapes, communities and events.

On Friday, Aug. 16, the Special Preview Party opens in the Harrietstown Town Hall auditorium from 6-9 p.m., where over $5,000 in awards will be given out.

Spectators are encouraged to visit with the artists as they work. A schedule and list of painting locations can be picked up at event headquarters, the Adirondack Artists Guild Gallery, 52 Main St.

Twenty-five percent of the artists are new to the festival. Five previous winners will be attending again, including George Van Hook of Cambridge. Van Hook is a three-time winner in 2013, 2016 and 2023.

“We are especially excited to have an artist coming from the Faroe Islands,” a news release from Saranac Lake ArtWorks reads. “Geography lesson: These are a group of rocky islands in the North Atlantic, between Iceland and Norway.”

Pol Skardenni, the Faroe Islands artist, said he started painting outdoors in about 1987, not knowing there was such a thing as plein air painting.

“It seemed so natural to stand out in front of the subject, instead of painting from a photo,” Skardenni said. “Gradually it developed into a kind of sport to reach the limit of what could be done in terms of wind and weather.”

He believes he is the only plein air painter from the islands and said “it can sometimes seem a little lonely, not being able to share the passion with like-minded people.”

“We have no forests here in the Faroe Islands, so painting Adirondack will be a bit of a challenge. It seems like there is a relaxed atmosphere, the level is reasonably high and then it is also the fact that our national airline had plans to fly directly to an airport somewhat north of New York,” he said.

–

Schedule

–

Monday evening, Aug. 12, there is a Meet the Artists reception at the Hotel Saranac.

Tuesday, Aug. 13, the artists will be painting at the Paul Smith’s VIC.

On Wednesday, Aug. 14, artists will be free to choose their own painting locations, but Ampersand Bay Resort has invited them to come paint the sunset on Lower Saranac Lake. There will be live music and the bar and restaurant will be open; the public is welcome to come watch.

Thursday, Aug 15, is Paint the Town Day — a silent auction will open at the artists guild gallery at 5 p.m.

There will be a special public presentation at 8 p.m. on Thursday by Eric Rhoads, an artist, entrepreneur and publisher of Plein Air Magazine. Rhoads is a summer resident of the Adirondacks. He will give an informal talk about the plein air art movement. He will also be judging and announcing the winner of the Nocturne Contest prior to his talk. Those are paintings done after the sun sets. The talk will take place in the second floor Great Hall of the Hotel Saranac.

On Friday morning artists will be at the Saranac Lake Fish and Game Club.

The main event is the Special Preview Party on Friday from 6-9 p.m. at the Harrietstown Town Hall. Tickets are $20 per person, refreshments and food will be provided and award winners selected by juror Rhoads will be announced at 7:30 p.m.

New this year, the Adirondack Rail Trail Association is sponsoring a $500 award for the best painting done from the Adirondack Rail Trail. Several hundred fresh, newly-painted Adirondack paintings will be on display and for sale.

Saranac Lake ArtWorks is also holding a raffle this year. Three plein air paintings and a pair of Cape Air tickets to Boston will be raffled off, with winners drawn at the conclusion of the festival.

On Saturday morning there will be a quick draw competition from 9-11 a.m. Artists will have just two hours to complete a painting and bring it to the steps of the Harrietstown Town Hall, where a winner will be selected.

The big exhibit will be open from 12-5 p.m., with free admission. At 5 p.m., whatever paintings are left get packed up and the artists go home. This is your chance to see the landscapes, buildings, and views you might see every day, portrayed as works of art.

Visit saranaclakeartworks.org to see the full schedule and to learn more.