This is a virtual program.
The Adirondack chair is unrivaled in representing the region to the world beyond the Blue Line. Three artists—Tim Fortune, Barry Lobdell, and Jonathan Sweet—have all created unique works inspired by this iconic piece of furniture. Yet as active artists, Fortune, Lobdell, and Sweet work in entirely different mediums and subscribe to very different styles. Join us from the comfort of your own chair for an exploration of the work and creativity of these three artists.
Images (Left to Right):
Barry Lobdell, The Green Revenge, 2002 (2002.059.0001)
Timothy Fortune, Metamorphosis, 2004 (2004.035.0001)
Jonathan Sweet, MOD-ADK, 2013 (2013.024.0001)
Event Speakers:
Timothy Fortune’s work has been infused by his experiences growing up in the Adirondacks. He completed Bachelor and Master degrees in art while studying in Italy, Philadelphia, and New York City. After moving to south Florida, he opened a studio and gallery and also taught art for 16 years. Returning to his hometown of Saranac Lake in 1988, he opened The Small Fortune Studio and Gallery on Main Street where he paints intimate images of the Adirondacks in watercolor and oil, and continues to foster the vibrant arts community in the village.
Barry Lobdell lives in Saranac Lake, where he is a longtime member of the Adirondack Artists Guild. His work is always on display there and is regularly part of many competitions in the area. He was the first recipient of the Barbara Johnson Parnass Art in Public Spaces Program Prize in Saranac Lake in 2003. In the same year, he won the Best in Show/Purchase Prize in the North Country Regional Juried Art Show at the Gibson Gallery in Potsdam, NY. He won First Prize for Photography in the 2010 Adirondack Life Juried Exhibition at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts, a competition in which he won Second Prize in 2003 and the Best in Show award in 1997. He claimed Best in Show in the Northwind Fine Arts Gallery’s Juried show in 2014.
Jonathan Sweet is a contemporary American furniture artist. Growing up in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, he is inspired by the woodlands around him. He thrives on creating one of a kind custom wood furnishings and interiors. He enjoys studying scale and proportions that are pleasing to the eye. He invites an observer to dream or provoke interesting conversation. Sweet creates excitement and calls attention to his unique style!