About Us

Kary Johnson, Director, has been a participant and an instructor at the week long magical Meadowlark Music Camp (www.meadowlarkmusiccamp.com) in Washington, Maine, for the last few years. She has been so inspired by the supportive spirit and community at Meadowlark that she had a vision to develop a similar camp in the northern Adirondacks where she was born, raised, and continues to live.

Kary earned a B.A. in Music Education from the Crane School of Music, after which she taught music in public schools and conducted a community band for more than a decade.  She performs on guitar, bass, and tinwhistle with several bands and also plays half a dozen other classical and traditional instruments.  For the last twenty years she has been a program manager for a not for profit Human Services agency. 

Curt Stager, Assistant Director, is also Director of Meadowlark Music Camp and has a lifelong history with summer camps.  He is Professor of Natural Sciences at Paul Smith's College and an accomplished musician, specializing in various banjo and guitar styles and performing frequently in the area.  

As this vision was developing, an opportunity to use the beautiful lakeside campus of Paul Smith's College (www.paulsmiths.edu)  as a site for this camp arose. The stunning natural beauty and intimate feel of the campus, in addition to the guiding philosophy of this  "College of the Adirondacks" was seen as the perfect fit for a music camp.  Thus began  the welcome task of developing the Mountain Arts Gathering.  We hope you'll join us as we grow!