Plein air artist Debbie Mueller from New Hampshire is seen with Michelle Held from Florida in the background. (Photo provided)

SARANAC LAKE — Artistic adventures continue in the village of Saranac Lake for the month of August. With the 13th Adirondack Plein Air Festival underway, the Third Thursday ArtWalks occurring on the 19th, and pop-up galleries expected to start populating downtown storefronts, the next couple of weeks will have a lot of options for residents and visitors to explore the artistic community and talent of the region.

The 13th Adirondack Plein Air Festival started on Monday, with artists checking in and beginning to paint. Artists will have a few days to paint, then their work will be displayed at the Harrietstown Town Hall. A special preview party will be held this Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person. Food and beverages will be served and attendees will have the opportunity to purchase the artwork produced during the week before the free-to-attend show and sale on Saturday, from noon to 5 p.m.

This Thursday, the village will host more than 40 artists, musicians, and performers on the streets of downtown Saranac Lake during its Third Thursday ArtWalk. A diverse range of artistic mediums from artists of all genres and skill levels will be set up along Main Street, Broadway, and Woodruff Street. The night will have spoken word poetry, bluegrass music at Berkeley Green, a magician, vibrant oil painters alongside singer-songwriters, photographers, ceramics, even wood carving.

The Arts and Culture Advisory Board is offering artists the opportunity to exhibit their work this summer in Saranac Lake’s downtown area at no cost to them. Members of the Arts and Culture Advisory Board, one of the advisory boards overseen by the village, have created a program to host the area’s lesser-known artists in two-week exhibits in empty downtown storefronts.

The Downtown Pop-Up Galleries program seeks to help diversify the local arts scene, offer an opportunity for local artists without current access to gallery space to showcase their work in a visible, public forum, and utilize empty space to beautify and add to the creative character of Saranac Lake. The gallery dates are set up to coincide with the village’s ArtWalks. The advisory board has arranged to use up to four storefronts for this initiative.

“We are very fortunate to have so many outlets for our artists to display their work and to have so many opportunities that allow the community to interact and view local art,” said Sandy Hildreth, president of Saranac Lake ArtWorks. “As August continues we hope we will see local artists and community members engaging and continuing to contribute to the vibrant art scene in our region.”

To find out more about the Adirondack Plein Art Festival or the Third Thursday ArtWalks visit www.saranaclakeartworks.org.