The Adirondacks Through Artists’ Eyes: Inside the First Glens Falls Plein Air Festival
"Plein air" is French for "open air" and describes events where artists create in the moment.
What if the Adirondacks could teach us to slow down?
For one week this summer, artists will set up easels in downtown Glens Falls, along Lake George, beside bike paths, and in the gardens of The Hyde Collection, capturing fleeting moments of light, color, and place.
The First Annual Glens Falls Plein Air Festival isn't simply an art event—it's an invitation to see the Southern Adirondacks through a different lens.
On this episode of ADK Talks, host Jane sits down with Katelyn Foley, Curator of Education & Engagement at The Hyde Collection, to explore the centuries-old tradition of plein air painting and why Glens Falls is the perfect place to launch a new Adirondack arts tradition.
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Painters have an opportunity to interpret the views of Lake George from The Sembrich in Bolton Landing.
What you'll hear
Why plein air painting changed the art world—and why artists still practice it today.
How more than 30 artists will transform Glens Falls and Lake George into open-air studios.
Why The Hyde Collection believes art belongs outside museum walls.
Insider tips on where to find artists during festival week.
How slowing down and paying attention can change the way you experience the Adirondacks.
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Why plein air painting still matters.
"Plein air" is French for "open air," but as Foley explains, it represents much more than painting outdoors.
Popularized by 19th-century Impressionists like Monet and Manet, plein air painting challenged traditional ideas about what art could be. Instead of creating idealized scenes in studios, artists ventured outside to capture a moment exactly as they experienced it—changing light, shifting weather, and all.
That spirit remains alive today.
Throughout the conversation, Foley describes how outdoor painting forces artists to engage all their senses. They're not simply recording a landscape; they're responding to it in real time.
The result? Paintings that become time capsules.
The Hyde Collection in downtown Glens Falls.
A festival built for Glens Falls.
The Hyde Collection has long been one of the region's cultural anchors. But this summer, the museum is taking its mission beyond its galleries.
The inaugural Glens Falls Plein Air Festival runs July 27 through August 2 and features more than 30 artists painting throughout the Southern Adirondacks. Festival locations include:
Downtown Glens Falls
The Hyde Collection
Common Roots Brewing Company
Warren County Bike Path
Bolton Historical Museum
It's a collaboration that speaks to something larger happening in Glens Falls.
Once known primarily for its industrial roots, the city has quietly become one of Upstate New York's most interesting cultural destinations—home to world-class art, public murals, live theater, independent restaurants, and a thriving creative community.
Art you can watch happen.
Perhaps the most compelling part of the festival isn't what hangs on the walls at the end of the week.
It's watching artists work.
Listeners will hear Foley explain why visitors shouldn't hesitate to approach artists, ask questions, and observe their process. They'll also discover what artists notice that the rest of us often miss—the angle of sunlight, the movement of clouds, the sound of boats on the water, or the color hidden in shadows.
It's a reminder that art isn't always something to consume. Sometimes, it's something to witness.
More than an exhibition.
At week's end, participating artists will exhibit their completed works at The Hyde Collection during a special weekend-only exhibition.
Visitors will have an opportunity to:
Meet artists.
View newly completed paintings.
Purchase original artwork.
Attend Community Day.
Watch the Quick Draw competition.
Explore The Hyde Collection's galleries.
For many attendees, it may be their first introduction to plein air painting. For others, it may simply become another reason to spend a summer weekend in Glens Falls.
Seeing the Adirondacks differently.
One of the most memorable moments in the episode comes near the end, when Foley reflects on how painting outdoors changes the way people experience a place.
Art, she suggests, asks us to pay attention.
And in a region as beautiful as the Adirondacks, that might be the greatest gift of all.
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