The Artist in Residence (AIR) program from its inception has been a highly successful program funded by the Adirondack Park Institute, Inc. in order to provide FREE art instruction and appreciation programming at the Adirondack Interpretive Center in Newcomb. 

The Artist in Residence program was designed with two goals in mind, both of which have remained constant and highly successful.  The first was to provide artists at all levels of their profession, including master’s students, with an opportunity to explore and create original pieces in a relaxed, supportive and educational setting in the unique Adirondack Mountains.  The second was to provide local residents, visitors and visiting school groups with the opportunity to learn about and create artistic works of their own, under the tutelage of the Artist in Residence. 

The Adirondack Park is a unique and extremely rural environment.  Our residents and students often do not have the luxury to take an art class or observe and learn about art locally.  The AIR program provides opportunity and exposure to these types of experiences.

Throughout their residency, the artist works daily along the trails, interacting with visitors, answering questions and sharing information.  Additionally, the artist has designated studio time, where visitors may observe the creative process and where free workshops are held.  The AIR program is designed to highlight the profoundly inspiration role of nature in art and to encourage students to see both art and nature in new ways.  The Artist is accessible to the public throughout the residency.  The artist will also be the featured speaker at one of the Huntington Lecture Series evenings.  This series occurs throughout the summer, featuring naturalists, historians, physicists etc. 

The AIR program is designed as an eight week residential experience for the artist.  Within these eight weeks, the artist will hold 5 to 8 workshops for the public, in addition to interacting with hundreds of visitors informally while in the workshop or on the trails.  All workshops are offered free of charge and average attendance for each session is 50 individuals.  Certain workshops are geared toward adult and young adults and some specifically for younger children.