Lake Placid, NY: The Lake Placid Center for the Arts (LPCA) invites the public to an Opening Meet-the-Artist Reception on Friday, August 21 from 5 PM to 7 PM with Anne Diggory and Patrick McPhee for An Exploration of Landscapes. This new exhibit will be on display in the LPCA Fine Arts Gallery through September 19. August Gallery hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 1 PM to 5 PM. September Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 1pm to 5pm. Admission is free.
About Anne Diggory
Anne Diggory is known for her combination of accurate detail with expressive painting and strong abstract structure – an outgrowth of education at Yale and Indiana University and many years of exploring and painting the natural world. While the majority of her works are inspired by the Adirondacks of New York State, painting locations also include Alaska, Arizona, and various seashores as well as her own city of Saratoga Springs. A current series based on Lake George vistas was inspired by her research on John Frederick Kensett for an article that has been recently published in the Metropolitan Museum Journal.
The work featured in An Exploration of Landscapes showcases the wide range of subject matter that has inspired Diggory through the years, including many Adirondack locations. The work, which ranges in scale from tiny to grand scale, includes drawings from high peaks as well as paintings from her canoe and from within the clutter of her studio. The range of media includes her more recent hybrid works that combine the power of photography, digital manipulation and painting. These hybrid works were a part of a 2014 exhibition at The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls, NY and were featured in the Adirondack Explorer, Saratoga Living and the March 2015 photography issue of Adirondack Life.
Diggory shows regularly at the Blue Mountain Gallery in New York City. For several years she has been an artist-in-residence at the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake, NY, painting on the grounds of the museum during one week of the summer. Her work is included in many private and public collections including Bessemer Trust in San Francisco, Blue Shield of NE New York, The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls NY, Siena College, and the Yale Art Gallery. Major commissions include an Adirondack scene for the new Upstate Cancer Center in Syracuse and several large murals for the Adirondack Trust Company in Saratoga Springs. Public art works include a collaborative commission of art work for the Saratoga Springs Train Station and a large interactive artwork series for the Albany Institute of History and Art.
About Patrick McPhee
Patrick McPhee was first introduced to the wonderful, messy world of smearing oil pastels by his mother at the age of six. McPhee states, "Something about trying to capture a memory on paper while avoiding school work just stuck with me and with encouragement from my family, I began exploring other mediums." This exploration led McPhee to the Art Institute of Pittsburgh where he tested a wide variety of subjects. Through everything, his love for the outdoors and fishing stayed constant and ultimately led him to depicting scenes of nature in his work.
McPhee's work has been recognized throughout the North Country and beyond. At the 2014 Adirondack Plein Art Festival, he was presented with the Adirondack Spirit Award and his "Shadow Rock on the Ausable River" garnered the People's Choice Award. His work is also a regular at the Fine Arts Society of the Southern Tier Show in Johnson City, New York. He was awarded first place in the oils category in 2011 for "Page Brook," as well as Best in Show for "Katterskill Falls" in 2010 and "Santorini, Greece" in 2009. Patrick has also been the featured artist at the Phelps Mansion Museum in Binghamton, New York in 2008 and the Binghamton Public Library in 2006.
Regarding the impact of his work, McPhee has stated, "In the setting of our current environmental peril, it is my hope that my art can call some attention to the purity of an untouched land, and perhaps encourage others to help protect it from future harm."
About the LPCA
Nestled in an Olympic village, the Lake Placid Center for the Arts is a year-round treasure to residents and visitors of the Adirondacks and is the premier art and cultural hub of the region. Orchestrating quality programming, performances, rotating art exhibitions, and education experiences to residences and visitors alike, the LPCA provides an ensemble of offerings in music, theatre and dance, and supports local, regional and national artists in its Fine Arts Gallery. At the heart of this hub is hands-on learning experiences for children exploring their creativity and adults finding new passions. As a leading organization, the LPCA collaborates with other Adirondack non-profit partners to build, support and cultivate the arts community. Inspiring excellence in the arts for generations, the LPCA continues to thrive today at its unique and captivating Lake Placid campus.
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