View Arts Center in Old Forge
75 years of arts and culture in the Adirondacks.
View Arts Center in Old Forge.
When most people picture the Adirondacks, they think of mountain summits, quiet lakes, and miles of forest. Yet for 75 years, another force has helped shape life inside the Blue Line: creativity.
In this episode of ADK Talks, hosts Jane and Steve Ackerman travel to Old Forge to explore the remarkable story of View Arts Center, a community institution that began with a simple art show on founder Miriam Kashiwa's front lawn in 1951 and has grown into one of the Adirondacks' leading cultural organizations.
Today, View welcomes thousands of visitors each year through exhibitions, performances, theatre productions, classes, workshops, artist talks, and community events. But this conversation goes beyond a calendar of programs. It explores why arts and culture matter in rural communities, how organizations like View help connect residents and visitors, and what it takes to remain relevant for three-quarters of a century.
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What you'll hear in this ADK Talks episode.
The fascinating story of founder Miriam Kashiwa and the lawn art show that started it all
Why arts and culture remain essential to Adirondack communities
What makes View Arts Center unique among the region's cultural institutions
The role creativity plays alongside hiking, paddling, skiing, and outdoor recreation
Special exhibitions, performances, and experiences visitors shouldn't miss during View's 75th anniversary year
From a front lawn to a cultural institution.
Every enduring Adirondack institution starts somewhere.
For View Arts Center, that beginning traces back to 1951, when Mirnie Kashiwa organized an art show on her front lawn in Old Forge. What began as a community gathering grew into a movement that helped establish arts and culture as a permanent part of the Adirondack experience.
A recent exhibit of works by sculptor John Van Alstine at View Arts.
Executive Director Bernie Sunderlin and Director of Operations Travis Kiefer join ADK Talks to share how that original vision continues to shape View today.
The conversation explores the organization's evolution over the decades and examines a larger question: What enables certain community institutions to endure while others fade away?
Why arts matter in the Adirondacks.
The Adirondack story is often told through its wilderness.
Mountains. Lakes. Forests. Trails.
But communities need gathering places, too.
Pottery workshop.
Bernie and Travis discuss the role arts organizations play in strengthening year-round communities, creating opportunities for connection, and providing experiences that complement the region's outdoor identity.
The discussion also challenges the assumption that world-class cultural experiences belong only in major cities. View's exhibitions, performances, and educational programs demonstrate how creativity thrives in small towns and rural places.
For residents, View serves as a year-round community hub. For visitors, it offers another lens through which to experience the Adirondacks.
What makes View uniquely View?
The Adirondack Park is fortunate to have a rich network of arts organizations and cultural institutions.
Rather than comparing organizations, this episode explores what makes View distinct.
Listeners will hear how View balances exhibitions, theatre, workshops, pottery, recreation, artist talks, and community programming while remaining welcoming to newcomers.
Bernie and Travis also discuss how the Adirondack landscape influences programming and why participation matters just as much as presentation.
The result is an organization that feels both ambitious and approachable—a combination that has helped View build lasting connections across generations.
View Arts Center main foyer.
Celebrating 75 years.
A milestone anniversary provides an opportunity to look backward and forward at the same time.
As View celebrates 75 years, listeners will get an inside look at some of the exhibitions, performances, and signature experiences planned throughout the anniversary year.
Rather than trying to cover every event on the calendar, the conversation highlights the programs that best capture the spirit of View and the legacy of creativity that has defined the organization for decades.
Whether someone has visited View dozens of times or never stepped through the doors, this episode offers plenty of reasons to add it to their Adirondack itinerary.
Looking ahead.
Reaching 75 years is an achievement.
Preparing for the next 75 may be even more important.
Bernie and Travis share their hopes for the future, discuss opportunities and challenges facing arts organizations, and reflect on what they want View to represent for future generations.
Their answers reveal an organization committed not only to preserving a legacy but also to evolving alongside the communities it serves.
Listen now.
Whether you're a longtime supporter of the arts, a frequent visitor to Old Forge, or simply curious about the institutions that help shape Adirondack life, this episode offers an engaging look at one of the region's most enduring cultural success stories.
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