LAKE PLACID – The Lake Placid Center for the Arts invites the public to an opening meet-the-artists reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday for “Myths & Legends of the Adirondacks Vol. 1.”

This new exhibit, presented in collaboration with Old Forge’s View Gallery, will be on display in the Fine Arts Gallery through Nov. 27.

Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.

Admission is free.

“Myths & Legends of the Adirondacks Vol. 1” is an ongoing exhibition series that seeks to explore the myriad myths, legends and history of the Adirondack region, through the perspective of individual artists, who inhabit or find a deep connection to the area.

The first volume of the exhibition includes new and recent work by four dynamic painters: Stephen Fletcher (Forestport), Paula Ann Ford (Thendara), Greg Klein (Old Forge) and Peter Seward (Lake Placid).

Each explored the theme in a very distinct manner based on personal interests and stylistic approach, while devising images that communicate incredibly well with one another through both media and concept. Each artist has provided an accompanying text to each painting that further helps define the narrative established within the work and connects the visual world with the literary and oral traditions.

Stephen Fletcher’s paintings explore the theme through narrative structure that harkens back to the likes of Norman Rockwell, Goya, and the landscape traditions of the Hudson River school, albeit through a darkened and at times humorous lens. Fletcher plays on historical and modern myths within each of his paintings, some are tied to specific locations, while others are more generalized.

Paula Ann Ford approached the concept of Myths & Legends of the Adirondacks through a deeply personal association of place-in this case Maple Ridge, located in Old Forge. Ford’s series, created specifically for this exhibition, elude to the purported hauntings of the Ridge by the spirits of old skiers. The paintings themselves are joyous explorations of color, mood and light.

Greg Klein attaches myth to space and location. His muted palette and attention to mood assist in setting the tone for the stories he tells. Klein’s lonely images of lost cabins and camps reveal a rich sense of history both of the Adirondacks and to the history of painting itself, especially the Romantic tradition.

Peter Seward merges past and present, history and legend into intricate paintings, many of which are created in homage to famed Adirondack surveyor Verplank Colvin. Using Colvin’s notebooks as reference, Seward creates a narrative that focuses the viewer’s attention on the impact that the introduction of 21st century technology plays on the lives of the parks residence. Utilizing imagery of the Lake George Frankenpine, cell phone towers, windmills and even animal tagging Seward addresses the role that technology and surveillance often play within the context of a perceived serene wilderness.