By Sandra Hutchinson

If you happen to be driving (or hiking, skiing, biking or rafting) near the hamlet of North Creek, in New York’s Adirondack Park, make a point of stopping on Main Street to check out the mosaic panels.

A multi-year public art project is transforming a wall of concrete into an 180-foot long stretch of mosaic panels that depict life in and around this Adirondack community.

Spearheaded by artist Kate Hartley, the project has involved many adults and children, who take workshops to learn how to transform pieces of rock, tiles and glass into representations of natural landscape, animals, and human activities by piecing them together and mortaring them onto the concrete “canvas.” Funding has come from various sources, including the Adirondack Arts in Education program and NYSCA.

In late July, 2017, the final two pieces of the second large panel were installed as part of a community celebration of the project. Names were drawn out of a jar to choose the two folks who would get to put the pieces in place. Click here to view my video posted on The Chronicle’s Facebook page.

Kate Hartley showed us her original painting that was used to garner support for this project:

Here are some close ups that show some of the detail in the panels.

Beautiful depiction of a fly fisherman.

Almost looks real!

Here’s nearby Gore Mountain ski area.

A Baltimore oriole, a dragonfly, a bunny, and more.

A sunny day on the Hudson River.

Father and son hunting.

And of course, rafting on the Hudson—one of the activities for which North Creek is famous.

For more information on this project, check out the project’s Facebook page, here. Better yet, go see it yourself!