Albany, NY (July 11, 2001) - - - Albany International Airport's summer travelers will have an opportunity to view the history and legacy of Lake George as the Airport's Art & Culture Program presents its latest exhibition, Guidebook to Lake George. The exhibit will feature regional art, historic photographs and other materials chronicling Lake George leisure activities during the late 1900's and offer individuals a close look at the environmental concerns faced by the lake and its inhabitants both today and in the future. Included in the exhibit is a 1895 Rushton "Iowa Pleasure" Rowboat once used on Lake George.

Guidebook to Lake George will open on Saturday, July 14 in the Airport terminal's third floor Gallery. It will run through October 21. The exhibit is presented in collaboration with the Chapman Historical Museum and the Lake George Association. The public is invited to attend an opening reception for the exhibit on Thursday, July 19, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Thomas Jefferson called Lake George the "Queen of American Lakes." By the 1860's, improved means of travel made the Queen Lake accessible to all that sought relief from the city life and summer heat. Among the exhibits featured in the Gallery will be the historic photographs by Seneca Ray Stoddard (1843-1917) that chronicle this period at Lake George.

The Lake George Association was formed in 1885 to help ensure the long-term stability of water quality and the lake's economic viability. The Association has long advocated a reasoned approach to management of the Lake George Basin. The Airport's exhibition will include geologic maps, rock samples, liminological equipment and materials that highlight the association's lake-saving projects.

"The best landscapes make you want to return. Lake George inspires this sentiment in me - - - the sky and the light, the horizon and the great passage of clouds take hold of you," said Albany artist Nadia Spiak Rymanowski who has been painting landscapes of Lake George for almost a decade. Several of Ms. Rymanowski's recent paintings are part of the Lake George exhibition.

Albany International Airport invites you to take part in the following exhibit-related programs:

"Roughing it" at Lake George. July 28, 2:00 p.m. at the Chapman Historical Museum, Glens Falls. Museum curator Rebecca Pelchar presents a picture of Victorian leisure featuring the photographs of Seneca Ray Stoddard. For information contact the Chapman Museum at 518-793-2826.

The Lake George Association's Floating Classroom. Aug. 25, 9:30 a.m. (Rain date: Aug. 26, 9:30 a.m.) This two-hour boat ride will explore the ecology of Lake George, the geology of the region and the quality of the lake's water. Space is limited. For reservations, please contact the Lake George Association at 518-668-3558.

The Albany International Airport is committed to showcasing the artistic heritage of the region through its ongoing Art and Culture Program. Exhibitions that feature the works of contemporary artists and regional cultural institutions are presented throughout the terminal on a rotating basis. Albany International Airport Gallery is open daily from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

For additional information, please contact Sharon Bates at 242-2243.

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