Eleanor Sweeney (Photo provided)

SARANAC LAKE — In January, the Adirondack Artists Guild will honor founding member Eleanor V. Sweeney, 1937-2025, with an exhibit of her innovative and often unconventional photography. Sweeney was an active member of the Guild since its establishment 1997 until shortly before her passing in October of this year.

Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Sweeney moved with her family to Saranac Lake in 1964, where she took photography classes at North Country Community College and spent the remainder of her life as a professional photographer, transitioning seamlessly from film and darkroom printing to digital work, and always experimenting with new processes. Sweeney exhibited widely and won numerous awards for her bold, original work that pushed the boundaries of traditional photography, blending digital and analog techniques including photo emulsion transfers and sometimes painting over photographic prints, to create expressive hybrid works of art.

There will be a memorial gathering on Sunday, Jan. 4 in the Grand Ballroom at the Hotel Saranac, where friends and family can share stories and memories of Sweeney. Guests may arrive between 1:30 and 2 p.m. to mingle and socialize, then there will be an opportunity for anyone to speak publicly until 4 p.m.

Following this event, the Adirondack Artists Guild will host a reception at the Gallery until 5 p.m. so people may see the exhibit of Sweeney’s photography. Available works may be purchased for a voluntary donation to fund a special art award in Sweeney’s name, per her wishes. The Eleanor Sweeney Art Award will be given to a local high school senior whose artwork exhibits out-of-the-box thinking and creativity, as did Eleanor’s.

The exhibit will be on display throughout the month of January. The gallery is located at 52 Main St. Regular hours are Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.