A Capital Grant News Roundup

Historic Saranac Lake has been awarded a grant of $600,000 from the New York State Council on the Arts to support construction of an accessible entrance at the Saranac Laboratory Museum. This is the final phase of the project to expand the museum to become a two-building campus. The grant will support the installation of a handicap lift and foyer addition at the rear of the Saranac Laboratory. The new entrance will integrate the visitor experience across the museum campus and provide accessibility in all areas. The new addition will also serve as an improved museum store. Construction of the accessible laboratory addition is expected to begin soon. The project is expected to be completed by 2027. 

Additional info HERE.

Depot Theatre has received an $83,000 Capital Grant from the New York State Council on the Arts to support improvements to the theatre’s historic home in the 1876 Westport train station. The investments will help improve energy efficiency, enhance accessibility, and strengthen long-term sustainability.

Read more from the Sun Community News  HERE.

Tupper Arts has received a grant award totaling $99,000 from the New York State

Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to support the organization’s renovation of the historic Adirondack State Theater. This grant will cover the cost of the installation of a sprinkler system.

Tupper Arts had requested a grant to add a fire-suppression system to the renovation project of the Adirondack State Theater at 100 Park Street. The 1914 structure, which Tupper Arts purchased in 2024 and has continued to operate, survived two major fires that demolished most of the other buildings on the block. Tupper Arts is revitalizing the building with funding from New York State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) previous capital funding from NYSCA, and other funding, with work planned on both of the building’s two theater spaces, along with its façade, lobby, marquee, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems, and basement.

Read more about the grant HERE.

The Whallonsburg Grange Hall has been awarded a $58,238 grant from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to support the organization’s renovations and improvements to the exterior of the Whitcomb’s Arts building. 

The project includes the installation of an attractive entryway to the art gallery and community space plus new metal siding to provide better weatherproofing, enhance the appearance, and encourage drop-in visitors. A pergola will be installed on the rear deck to provide sun protection and encourage use of the deck for outdoor music, small gatherings and relaxation by the riverside park.

Image: Rendering of Whitcomb’s Building with New Frontscaping, Architect Joe Petrarca

Arts Center Lake Placid has received$1 million  in the FY2026 Agriculture-Rural Development funding bill, secured through the efforts of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. The $1 million will be used to modernize and expand the center’s 50-year-old annex facility to create a new arts and early childhood education complex.

Sen. Gillibrand visited Lake Placid last week to celebrate the grant funding. Read the full release HERE.

Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts (ALCA) presents

The 730 Speaker Series

Our popular speaker series returns for its second season, welcoming writers, historians, artists, and explorers whose work connects us to the Adirondacks and to the broader world of ideas.

All talks begin at 7:30 pm and are free and open to all. Donations are welcomed at the door.

Please note that talks are scheduled on select Sundays and Thursdays this year given our expanded calendar.

See the full schedule of speakers HERE.

First up in the series:

Andy Coney: The Mythical Minnow Brook West

Debunking a bogus branch: The mythical Minnow Brook West

Sunday, June 21, 2026, 7:30 pm

In February of this year, the Adirondack Explorer ran an article by Andy Coney on his research into early mapping of Blue Mountain Lake and a mythical waterway running between Minnow and Chubb Ponds. In the first half of his talk, he will cover highlights from the article, sharing Blue Mountain Lake maps from 1837 to the present plus satellite photographs to show how significant map errors were corrected over time and a serious new mistake was introduced in 1954 which still appears today. 

In the second portion, Andy will discuss mapping the fascinating bottom of Blue Mountain Lake and a new 3D map he completed this year.

Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts, 8897 State Rte. 30, Blue Mountain Lake

The Monarch & Pollinator Festival Returns to Indian Lake

The Chapman Museum Presents

Join the Chapman Museum, Lower Adirondack Pride, and Mean Max Brew Works for a lively night of trivia, tunes, and community!

Test your knowledge of Broadway history and musicals, enjoy great brews, and don’t be surprised if a showtune or two sneaks in along the way.

Grab your friends, form a team, and get ready for a fun night of friendly competition and theatrical flair!

Register HERE.

Mean Max Brew Works, 193 Glen St #2, Glens Falls

Warren County Historical Society and the Crandall Public Library Folklife Center present

A Force for Nature: Paul Schaefer’s Adirondack Coalitions, by David Gibson

Monday, June 22, 6:30 pm

In his new book, Gibson recounts the legacy of Adirondack activist and writer Paul Schaefer and his lifelong work as a dedicated conservationist whose efforts directly contributed to the Adirondacks remaining “forever wild.” Gibson traces the trajectory of Schaefer, his mentor, in pursuing a career advocating for the preservation of the United States’ largest protected park—a devotion he held until his death in 1964. The book celebrates the life of Paul Schaefer and his advocacy of the Adirondack Park, along with the impact that he continues to have in the Adirondack region today.

David Gibson is the managing partner of Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve and is the former executive director of the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks.

Community Room, Crandall Public Library, 251 Glen St, Glens Falls

Lake Placid-North Elba Historical Society presents

Join us this summer for our Monday Music at the Museum events. Bring your chairs and gather round for 6 – 8 pm acoustic performances by local artists. These events are free and open to the public. Join us rain or shine.

The Adirondack Experience announces

Christopher Dobbs named Executive Director

The Board of Trustees of the Adirondack Experience (ADKX), The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake, is pleased to announce the appointment of Christopher Dobbs as its new Executive Director. An accomplished leader with more than 25 years of experience in the museum sector, Dobbs brings a proven track record of strategic growth, community engagement, and institutional stewardship to one of the region’s most vital cultural landmarks. 

Dobbs joins ADKX from the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana, where he served as Executive Director since 2018. During his tenure there, he was instrumental in expanding public programming, overseeing significant capital improvements, and fostering deep collaborations with local and tribal communities. His arrival at ADKX marks a return to the Northeast, where he previously led the Connecticut River Museum and the Noah Webster House.  

Read more HERE.

Lake George Arts Project announces

Call for Muralists for a New Public Art Project

In a collaboration between the Town, the Village, and Lake George Arts Project with generous funding provided by the NYS Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), 18 uniquely designed and painted canoes and paddles, as well as 4 new murals will be sited and displayed throughout the village. This project will showcase the talents of regional artists while beautifying the landscape, enhancing the aesthetics of the Village, extending public art to new areas and unexpected places, and introducing art to the community in a captivating and innovative way.

A map featuring each installation / mural will be designed, printed and available throughout the town and village. Signage with QR codes will include the artist’s name, the title of the work, and narrative text about the work, which would include any historical references and/or the artist’s inspiration.

All of the information will be available on the LGAP website which will feature the wayfinding map, images of each work and expand upon the information about the artists and their work.

Questions? Contact The Lake George Arts Project: 518-668-2616 or

email Tanya Tobias, Executive Director: Tanya@lakegeorgearts.org

More information with timeline HERE.

In Case You Missed It

“Sweethearts & Heroes, Emotion Into Art partner for 

HOPE Through Art”

CPCS students said the art show’s themes held personal meaning for them

From the The Sun Community News:

Texas-based artist Tom Varano and Sgt. Rick Yarosh of Sweethearts & Heroes delivered the HOPE Through Art show to students in Ticonderoga, Salem, St. Johnsville, St. Regis Falls, and Peru from Monday, June 1, through Friday, June 5. Students from Crown Point Central School saw the show in Ticonderoga, and Dolgeville students watched it in St. Johnsville.

The endeavor was a pilot project between Varano, founder of Emotion Into Art, and Sweethearts & Heroes, which aims to prevent hopelessness, bullying and suicide by providing dynamic, inspiring content that centers on the human interaction skills necessary for schools and other organizations to change all aspects of their culture.

Read the full article HERE.

Image: Crown Point Central School students were treated to a special art show last week when Sweethearts & Heroes partnered with Texas performance/visual artist Tom Varano to blend their shared messages of inspiration and HOPE. Credit: Photo provided.