March 19, 2026

Blue Mountain Lake, NY — The Adirondack Experience, The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake (ADKX) will be celebrating their annual Benefit Gala & Harold K. Hochschild Award ceremony on Saturday, July 25 from 5 to 9 PM, under the stars at their museum in the heart of the Adirondacks. This yearly celebration and fundraiser highlights the organization’s service to the Adirondack community, as well as honors the Harold K. Hochschild Award recipient. This award, given annually to a different recipient, is dedicated to the memory of the museum’s founder, whose passion for the Adirondacks, its people, and environment inspired him to create the museum and establish the Adirondack Park Agency (APA). The 2026 award recipients are Dick Beamish and the Adirondack Explorer Magazine. 

For more than five decades, Dick Beamish has been one of the Adirondack Park’s most persistent and passionate advocates. Born and raised in Albany, Beamish first fell in love with the region as a boy spending summers at Camp Dudley on Lake Champlain. After graduating from Williams College and earning a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia, he became the first communications director of the newly formed Adirondack Park Agency in 1972. In that role, he crisscrossed the state working to educate the public about the region and the urgent need for thoughtful planning and protection. His firsthand accounts of those pivotal early years are preserved in the ADKX archives as part of a major oral history collection recently donated by author Brad Edmondson.

By the 1990s, Beamish recognized a void in how news and information about the Adirondacks were shared. Misconceptions about the Park were common—both inside and outside the Blue Line—and he believed a regional publication could help bridge divides and elevate informed dialogue. In 1998, after years of determination and fundraising, Beamish launched Adirondack Explorer, a nonprofit news magazine dedicated to covering the Park’s natural and human communities. Its mission: “to inform and influence, to identify problems and solutions, to help shape public opinion and policy.”

“Dick Beamish’s vision and unwavering commitment have strengthened understanding of the Adirondacks for generations, and Adirondack Explorer continues that vital work every day. Their dedication to thoughtful dialogue, environmental stewardship, and community storytelling reflects the very ideals Harold Hochschild championed. We are honored to recognize Dick and the Explorer with this year’s award, and we look forward to celebrating their extraordinary impact at the 2026 Gala.” said ADKX Trustee Nancy Keet.

From its earliest issues, the Explorer has played an essential role in presenting balanced reporting on complex topics, celebrating outdoor recreation and natural history, and highlighting the challenges and opportunities facing Adirondack communities. Today it stands as one of the most trusted sources of independent journalism in the region.

“We are grateful for Dick Beamish and Adirondack Explorer’s decades of dedication to the Adirondack Park. Their commitment to thoughtful reporting and community engagement has made a lasting difference, and we’re delighted to honor them at this year’s Gala.” said ADKX Executive Director David Kahn

To purchase tickets to this event or make a contribution in honor of the Dick Beamish and the Adirondack Explorer Magazine visit the ADKX website ICI.

À propos de l'Expérience Adirondack, le musée du lac Blue Mountain

Adirondack Experience, The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake (ADKX), accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, shares the history and culture of the Adirondack region through interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, and culturally rich collections in more than 20 historic and contemporary buildings on a 121-acre campus in the heart of the Adirondacks. The museum is supported in part with donations from the general public, with some general operating support made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. For additional information, call 518-352-7311 or visit www.theADKX.org.

August 19, 2025 | 12:15 PM

Blue Mountain Lake, NY — With the end of a very full 2025 summer season approaching, the Adirondack Experience (ADKX) Board of Trustees is planning ahead by developing a smooth transition process for a new Executive Director. David M. Kahn, the current Executive Director, informed the board of his intention to retire in 2026. Knowing his plans in advance allows the Board to develop an orderly transition process and assures David’s capable leadership of the organization in the coming months. The Board of Trustees are in the very early planning stage of the search process and are confident that with David’s continued leadership throughout this transition period the institution will continue to thrive.

“Over his fourteen years of service, David has had a tremendous impact on the Adirondack Experience including spearheading new exhibitions, renovating existing buildings, hiring and developing capable staff, supporting the robust school outreach programs, filling packed events calendars, and reaching out to members and donors,” said Anne Donovan Bodnar, Adirondack Experience Board Chair. “We look forward to celebrating these and many more of David’s accomplishments over the next year.”

Kahn is the eighth Executive Director in ADKX’s history. Prior to joining ADKX, he held leadership roles at institutions including the Brooklyn Historical Society, Connecticut Historical Society, and Louisiana State Museum. He has served on numerous national and state cultural boards, grant panels, and advisory committees.

Adirondack Experience Contact:

Tara Murphy
Director of Marketing and Communications
tmurphy@theadkx.org
O: (518) 352-7311 ext. 182

Blue Mountain Lake, NY—The Adirondack Experience, the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake (ADKX), has received $2M in funding from New York State in support of a new $3M permanent exhibition, the African American Experience in the Adirondacks. The new funding will be in addition to $750,000 ADKX has already raised. Opening on July 4, 2027, the exhibition will help celebrate the abolition of slavery in New York State.

Planning for the exhibition is already underway. Charles Clark III is serving as Project Curator and will be leading a public collecting initiative to identify documents, photographs, and artifacts in private hands that can help tell the story of the Adirondacks’ Black communities. A scholarly advisory committee of experts in African American history has been assembled and includes: Amy Godine (Independent Historian), Dr. Clarence Jefferson Hall (Queensborough Community College), Dr. Melissane Shrems (St. Lawrence University), Dr. Gretchen Sorin (SUNY Oneonta), and Dr. Connor Williams (Great Camp Sagamore). Together, they will shape the content of the 2,200-square-foot exhibition that will be the most comprehensive exploration of the stories of African Americans in the region that any museum in the North Country has ever undertaken. The exhibition will explore the lives of prominent African Americans who have called the North Country their home as well as everyday people: the miners, loggers, hospitality workers, and others who helped build the local economy. As is the case with all of ADKX’s exhibition, the African American Experience in the Adirondacks will include interactive features to engage 21^st century audiences. Related school programming for regional schools will also be developed to complement the new exhibition.

 “We are very grateful to have had the support of the state legislature – especially Senator Jeremy Cooney, Assemblymember Michaelle C. Solanges, and The New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus – for this important project,” said ADKX Executive Director David Kahn. “Creating this exhibition will help us realize our goal to tell the stories of all Adirondackers. We also anticipate that the exhibition will help draw African American heritage tourists to the region.”

The opening of this exhibition represents another major step forward in ADKX’s on-going initiative to reexamine and expand the narratives that have shaped common understandings of the Adirondacks and to shed new light on the experiences of diverse communities in the region. This initiative began in earnest with the opening of a major permanent exhibition on the Mohawk and Abenaki communities, Une nature sauvage et peuplée, in 2017.

The African American Experience in the Adirondacks is one of a number of major permanent exhibitions ADKX is planning to introduce in the future. Other projects will focus on Adirondack forests as well as the hotel and resort industry.

À propos de l'Expérience Adirondack, le musée du lac Blue Mountain

Adirondack Experience, The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake (ADKX), accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, shares the history and culture of the Adirondack region through interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, and culturally rich collections in more than 24 historic and contemporary buildings on a 121-acre campus in the heart of the Adirondacks. The ADKX offers a broad range of programs and activities including special and permanent exhibitions, the 19,000-square-foot La vie dans les Adirondacks interactive exhibition and new Artistes et inspiration dans la nature, nature trail hikes, and boating on Minnow Pond. ADKX offers daily activities with artists-in-residence, workshops, lectures, nature walks, family and educational programs, and signature events like the Rustic Fair, FallFest, and the Adirondack Art Festival. The museum is supported in part with donations from the general public, with some general operating support made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. For additional information, call 518-352-7311 or visit www.theADKX.org.

Media Contact:

Tara Murphy

Director of Marketing and Communications

tmurphy@theadkx.org             
 O: (518) 352-7311 ext. 182

Charles Clark III

Project Curator

cclark@theadkx.org

O: (518) 352-7311 ext. 187

Blue Mountain Lake, NY — The Adirondack Experience, The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake (ADKX) will be celebrating their annual Benefit Gala & Harold K. Hochschild Award ceremony on Saturday, July 26 from 5 to 9 PM, under the stars at their museum in the heart of the Adirondacks. This yearly celebration and fundraiser highlights the organization’s service to the Adirondack community, as well as honors the Harold K. Hochschild Award recipient. This award, given annually to a different recipient, is dedicated to the memory of the museum’s founder, whose passion for the Adirondacks, its people, and environment inspired him to create the museum and establish the Adirondack Park Agency (APA). The 2025 award recipients are the Adirondack Foundation and CEO & President Cali Brooks. 

Adirondack Foundation is composed of a group of compassionate problem-solvers working to enhance the lives of people in the Adirondacks through philanthropy. They work to connect generous donors with the causes they care about in the places they love. They are grantmakers – the largest private grantmaker in the region – and community connectors. As the only community foundation serving the entire Adirondack region, they proudly steward a family of funds pooled and invested together for maximum impact. Investing these funds collectively has allowed them to grant out millions of dollars alongside many generous supporters since they were founded in 1997.

From the beginning, CEO & President Cali Brooks has been the driving force behind the tremendous positive change the Foundation has generated in the Adirondack region. During her tenure the Foundation’s endowment has grown from $2M to $100M – supporting hundreds of regional nonprofits with over $80 million in grants and scholarships. The incredible philanthropic pipeline that Brooks has helped to create has become the lifeline for so many in the Adirondacks. Over the last quarter century Brooks has evolved into a major player in the Adirondack Park, gradually reshaping the Adirondack Foundation and its ability to impact not only small projects but larger projects as well. 

“Cali Brooks has an unparalleled passion for the Adirondack Park and the wellbeing of all its citizens. I know Harold Hochschild would have been thrilled to see the impact the Foundation is having on the Adirondacks and its people. That is what he cared so deeply about,” says ADKX Honorary Trustee Frances Beinecke.

Some of their most impactful community initiatives include the Adirondack Birth to Three Alliance focused on providing kids with the best possible start so they can become healthy, thriving members of the community; and the Special and Urgent Needs Fund which provides responsive granting resources that can be deployed to assist Adirondack communities and nonprofits during times of crisis. The fund has helped communities, business, and individuals throughout the Adirondacks including over $2M in COVID-19 response and recovery funds.

“The ADKX would like to thank Cali Brooks and the Adirondack Foundation for their remarkable dedication towards making the Adirondack region a better place to live,” said Executive Director David Kahn. “We look forward to celebrating them at this year’s Gala.”

To purchase tickets to this event or make a contribution in honor of the Adirondack Foundation and Cali Brooks visit the ADKX website ICI.

À propos de l'Expérience Adirondack, le musée du lac Blue Mountain

Adirondack Experience, The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake (ADKX), accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, shares the history and culture of the Adirondack region through interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, and culturally rich collections in more than 24 historic and contemporary buildings on a 121-acre campus in the heart of the Adirondacks. The ADKX offers a broad range of programs and activities including special and permanent exhibitions, the 19,000-square-foot La vie dans les Adirondacks interactive exhibition and new Artistes et inspiration dans la nature, nature trail hikes, and boating on Minnow Pond. ADKX offers daily activities with artists-in-residence, workshops, lectures, nature walks, family and educational programs, and signature events like the Rustic Fair, FallFest, and the Adirondack Art Festival. The museum is supported in part with donations from the general public, with some general operating support made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. For additional information, call 518-352-7311 or visit www.theADKX.org.

Museum and Exhibition Expanded for 2024 Season

Blue Mountain Lake, N.Y. – Several new and significant works of art are now on display in the Adirondack Experience’s (ADKX) Artistes et inspiration dans la nature exhibition, the most comprehensive showing of the museum’s art and decorative collections in its history. The permanent exhibit, which debuted in July 2023, showcases an inclusive and wide-reaching interpretation of Adirondack art across centuries – from renowned artists such as Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait and Winslow Homer to the groundbreaking work of Margaret Jacobs and for the first time, Tyler Schrader, who represents a new generation of Adirondack woodworkers.

Described as “refreshing” and “vibrant” by museum guests in 2023, Artists & Inspiration in the Wildfeatures more than 250 works acrossfour main galleries that illustrate how the natural features of the Adirondacks – light, forests, water, and mountains – have sparked the creative visions of diverse painters, sculptors, and expert artisans.

“Because there is so much diversity within creative arts across the Adirondacks, our goal is to introduce visitors to new acquisitions in the collection, feature new artists and their work, and to offer new experiences each year,” said Chief Curator Laura Rice. “These artists are making work with different materials, from different perspectives, yet they all share this deep sense of connection to the Adirondack landscape.”

Some of the artists with works on view include: 

• Margaret Jacobs – A member of the Akwesasne Mohawk community, Jacobs incorporates aspects of her Indigenous identity in her work. Carrying Knowledge: Mint represents her take on the iconic Adirondack packbasket that “is inspired by Haudenosaunee utility packbaskets but fully fabricated from steel.” In 2022, Art New England named Jacobs as one of 10 emerging New England artists, and her work has been cited in popular publications like Harper’s Bazaar.

• Tyler Schrader – A woodworker who uses organic shapes, spirals, and curves that suggest natural tree forms, Schrader brings in a distinctive style that is equally at home in a rustic cabin or urban loft. His complex sculpture Cosmic Portal, which measures 9’ by 6’, incorporates layers of oak, maple, ash, and poplar that curve over lights that move in rhythm and change colors in response to music or the natural electrical impulses of plants.

• John Van Alstine – Inspired by the Adirondack landscape, mountains, and the guideboat, Van Alstine works primarily in steel and stone. The works in the artist’s Pyxis Awry series feature a “vessel” form—historically understood in art as a symbol for the self, a group of people, or all humankind.

Artistes et inspiration dans la nature invites visitors to further engage with the exhibition through a variety of innovative interactives. These range from ceiling projections and audio sounds that tie to each gallery’s theme to the ability to physically adjust the lighting of a landscape painting to see how it impacts the mood of the piece.  

This exhibition was made possible in part by The Institute of Museum and Library Services, The National Endowment for the Humanities, and the New York State Council on the Arts.

The Adirondack Experience is extremely grateful to the generous donors, foundations, and corporations who supported Artistes et inspiration dans la nature.

Artists & Inspiration in the Wild is included with admission to Adirondack Experience, which is open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through October 14, 2024. Online ticket reservations can be made at www.theadkx.org/visit.

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À propos de l'Expérience Adirondack, le musée du lac Blue Mountain

Adirondack Experience, The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake (ADKX), accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, shares the history and culture of the Adirondack region through interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, and culturally rich collections in more than 24 historic and contemporary buildings on a 121-acre campus in the heart of the Adirondacks. The ADKX offers a broad range of programs and activities including special and permanent exhibitions, the 19,000-square-foot La vie dans les Adirondacks interactive exhibition, outdoor hiking, and boating experience on Minnow Pond. ADKX offers daily activities with artists-in-residence, workshops, lectures, nature walks, family and educational programs, and signature events like the Rustic Fair, FallFest, and the Adirondack Artisan Festival. The museum is supported in part with donations from the general public, with some general operating support made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. For additional information, call 518-352-7311 or visit www.theADKX.org.