Big Tupper exhibit coming to local arts center

by Dan McClelland

Locals who enjoyed skiing Big Tupper Ski Center over the decades it operated here since the early 1960s will find many familiar faces and scenes in a new photographic exhibit opening at the Tupper Arts center on Park Street on Valentine’s Day next Friday.

The exhibit is comprised of over 100 photographs taken by Tupper Lake’s premier photographer, Kathleen Bigrow, during her many years covering the news happenings of the community. Tupper Arts featured an impressive exhibit of some of her works from the 1950s through the 1990s last summer, but this one will focus on the many great shots she took at the hometown mountain.

The late Mrs. Bigrow’s collection of negatives and prints are now in the able hands of her friend, Jim Lanthier, a Tupper Arts volunteer, who has compiled the photos to be displayed beginning next Friday and running for many weeks. Ed Donnelly has been working with Mr. Lanthier in the exhibit's preparation. Most of the pieces have been enlarged and wrapped in plastic on display boards.

The exhibit will also feature shows on a large digital screen of several old movies of Big Tupper and winter events there by Tupper Lake videotographer Rick Godin.

The opening event is part of a Valentine’s Day promotion later next week hosted by some of the Park St. businesses.

The exhibit will include shots of local adults here when they were teenagers who frequented Big Tupper whenever they could and many of the youngsters who grew up there.

All the photographs will be for sale, with some of the proceeds to go to the Tupper Arts in support of its many arts and cultural programs and its maintenance of its Park St. headquarters.