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The Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake will introduce a new exhibit this season called Rustic Tomorrow. Imagine an Adirondack rustic furniture maker collaborating with a contemporary world-class architect. The result would be a blend of past and future, a fusion of tradition and cutting-edge.
For this exhibit, six modernist and post modernist architects or designers were paired with prominent Adirondack rustic furniture makers. The results of these collaborations were one-of-a-kind pieces, distinctly futuristic in design, but constructed using traditional time-honored techniques.
Rustic Tomorrow will be on exhibit at the Adirondack Museum from May 23 through Oct. 19. The exhibition will then travel to the Lake Placid Center for the Arts for a Nov. 7 through Dec. 13 showing, and then to the Munson-Williams-Proctor Art Institute in Utica from Feb. 14 to April 19, 2009. Rustic Tomorrow will be displayed at the D. Wigmore Fine Art, Inc. Gallery in New York City in April 2009 and then will be
sold at auction to benefit the Adirondack Museum.
"This exhibit is perfect for the museum as we begin our 51st year--it is fresh, innovative, and yet stems from the history of a great Adirondack tradition--rustic furniture making," says Adirondack Museum Director, Caroline M. Welsh.
Ann Stillman O'Leary, who founded Evergreen House Interiors, Inc. in Lake Placid in 1989, originated the Rustic Tomorrow project. O'Leary has established a solid reputation in the field of interior design. Known
for leading the renaissance in rustic architecture and interior design, she is sought after for her distinctive style that is both rustic and refined. O'Leary is the author of the best selling books "Adirondack Style" and "Rustic
Revisited." She has been featured on the Today Show, HGTV radio, Cabin Life, House and Garden Channel and in numerous national publications.
The Adirondack Museum has the finest collection of historic Adirondack rustic furniture and furnishings, not in private hands, in the country and hosts an annual Rustic Fair in the fall. The fair attracts highly skilled rustic craftsmen from all parts of the United States and Canada. The 21st annual Rustic Fair is planned for Sept. 5, 6, and 7.
The Adirondack Museum is a regional museum of art, history and culture. It tells the story of the Adirondacks through exhibits, special events, classes for schools, and hands-on activities for visitors of all ages. The museum will open for a new season on Friday, May 23. To learn about the Adirondack Museum, go to www.adirondackmuseum.org.
