Adirondack Studios

09/01/2026

Congratulations to Saudi Entertainment Ventures on the recent opening of its first entertainment destination in the Kingdom!

SEVEN Abha offers family-focused, culturally rich experiences and will be a transformative addition to the tourism and economic development landscape of Aseer. In support of SEVEN’s vision to exceed visitors’ expectations of what a leisure attraction can be, Adirondack Studios Middle East (ADKS ME) was selected to engineer, fabricate and install thematic elements and stand-out focal points within SEVEN Abha’s Family Entertainment Center and E-Karting Track.

We thank SEVEN for entrusting us with part of their dream for Abha, and we are grateful for the ADKS ME team members who brought these attractions to life, including: John Palaya, Reynaldo Castillo Tapia, Aguinaldo Eludo Grumo, Manny Tubig Ronquillo, David Dimayuga Antiporda, Mark Michael Dela Cruz de Jesus, Michael Gamboa Castilla, Enrico Cabusao Santos, Mark Anthony Frane Macatangay, Jeffrey Lacap Pabalate, Sharif Hamati, Jan Chester Castor San Pedro, Sonu Vimala Kuttappan, Elcilito Cabite Higayon, Juper Silverio, Rickey Estares Salaver, Angeles Lopez Dayandante, Mark Anthony Rondon Supan, Harris Amier Ragos, Junar Prieto Sumaling, Joel Isleta Milo, Matt Dean, Raul Fe Torion, Rosendo Canete Ybanez, Muhammad Kalem Ullah, Muhhamad Tayyab, Rajan Nishad, Amr Ahmed, Francisco Tolentino, Annaliza Dizon Mari, Zain Safdar, Romel Valencia Sajol, Sanupmon Vadakkedath, Arnel Malimata Mogol, Jilbert Gonzales Silverio, Renjith Raju Prema, Paul Galvey Arwingan, Jean Miranda, Shijo Shajan, Kate L., Akia Dzaky Pranadipta, Karthikeyan Elango, PMP®, Vivianna Milella, Padmarajan Antham Veetil, Lalita Numas, Mark Anthony Ariz, Tanit Kuesom, Jairam Singh, Prasad Acharya, Joel Miguel Tejada, Kotchaphorn Chimratn, Ajmal Valparambil, Marc Julius Manalo Wangkay, Shibu Elampath Karamban, Jonathan Torio, Jerson Gonzales Silverio, Bernard Lacanlale Rafael, Frederick Obing Mendez, Randy Espela, Webster Borda Sinchongco, Marlon Ramos Sanchez, Arif Niazi, Albin Tayag Tolentino, Sundara Panchatcharam, Jahnny Derramas, Angelo Palad, Ruel Reyes, Jefferson Telan, Nasreen Kadavath, Christian Corpuz, Syed Asif Ali, Arum Kumaran Sivasubramaniyan, Liju Pandikkad, Carlo Bauyon, Arvin Herrera, Ubonrat Duangnuch, Pakjera Hanumas, Tacilio Fernandez, Luscien Pananganan, Hilbert Sabang, Safdar Ali, Sunshine Maniego, Mohd Muksheer.

08/20/2026

You may have heard a rumor that Kinley Cummings has joined our Argyle, NY team...
..there's a "fiber" of truth to that.

Welcome Kinley to our Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) team at ADKS HQ!

Kinley Cummings is a creative and detail-oriented special effects (SFX) artist with experience in implementing practical and digital effects for film, television, and live performances. With a skillset that includes epoxy work, mechanical problem solving and repair, puppetry mechanisms, and set fabrication, she is passionate about pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling through innovative techniques and cutting-edge technology. Kinley holds an Associate's Degree from Tom Savini's Special Make-Up Effects Program at the Douglas Education Center.

Outside of the studio, you can find Kinley reading, writing poetry, hiking, attending concerts, or water-coloring.

Learn more about our FRP fabrication process in an upcoming post. In the meantime, let's congratulate Kinley on the start of her journey with ADKS!

08/19/2026

Let's get technical for a minute...

Adirondack Studios' Argyle and Orlando production facilities are actively searching for talented Themed Entertainment Technical Designers to join their expanding teams.

Technical designers fulfill project requirements such as shop drawings, models, narratives, sketches, and engineering documentation. Familiarity with theatrical fabrication methods and materials as a builder, installer, and/or designer is required, including the ability to read and understand design drawings. Desired software capabilities include AutoCAD, Inventor, SolidWorks, and/or other parametric modeling tools, and training in technical theatre or themed entertainment is a plus.

If this role feels like it was "designed" for you, apply today at https://www.adkstudios.com/team/ (no Facebook DMs, please)!

MAKE A SCENE.® with one of the fastest growing scenic fabricators in the global attractions industry. We look forward to hearing from you.

08/13/2026

For Head of Quality, Health, Safety, & Environment (QHSE), Monika Roksana Szyszło, it isn't enough for Adirondack Studios Middle East's work to be captivating, inspiring, or aesthetically pleasing. It also has to be safe for visitors, respectful to the environment, and built to last.

Monika has served in Technical and Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Management roles for over 10 years, successfully leading high-profile flagship projects known for their stringent standards and complexity. A graduate of the University of Gdansk in Poland, her QA/QC career has taken her to the United States, Qatar, Latvia and her current home in the UAE.

In her capacity as Head of QHSE at Adirondack Studios Middle East (ADKS ME), Monika is responsible for the strategic oversight and implementation of the company’s Integrated Management System (IMS). ADKS ME's system received ISO 9001 (Quality Management), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management), and ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management) Certification from Bureau Veritas, a tremendous success achieved in less than one year that would not have been possible without her leadership.

In this People Profile, Monika discusses the importance of both employee and guest safety throughout ADKS ME's scenic design, fabrication and installation process, reveals her proudest achievement, and shares what activities she enjoys pursuing on a well-deserved day off.

For Head of Quality, Health, Safety, & Environment (QHSE), Monika S...

08/06/2026

The future has arrived, and we couldn't be more excited!

Adirondack Studios had the great pleasure of hosting 15 students in the Girls Construction Summer Camp. The group had the opportunity to tour our 126,000-square-foot Argyle, New York facility, gain some hands-on experience through a demo, and enjoy lunchtime conversation with Paint Shop Manager Abby Cox and Electrics Manager Danielle Verkennes.

The Girls Construction Summer Camp, hosted by Whitbeck Construction Company in partnership with Northeast Construction Trades Workforce Coalition, Inc., Women in Trades, and WSWHE BOCES, is an exciting hands-on camp designed to empower middle school girls through real-world construction projects, teamwork, and creative problem-solving. Whether it’s using power tools for the first time or building a bench from scratch, these camps offer an unforgettable experience that combines fun with foundational STEM skills.

When the girls ended their tour in the paint department, Abby led them around the paint shop and chatted with some of the women in the department about the various things they were working on. Then the group went outside to learn about scenic aging and use reference pictures to create a copper patina scenic finish. As you can see from the photo, we think they nailed it!

"The camp visit was awesome! It was incredibly inspiring to see so many young women interested in the type of work that we do. The girls did a fantastic job! They had great questions and seemed like they had a fabulous time. I really enjoyed the whole experience." - Abby Cox, Paint Shop Manager

"Seeing [Danielle and Abby] lead these two departments and succeed in our creative environment profoundly shapes young girls' awareness of their potential and goes a long way toward boosting the career ambitions of young women looking to enter the construction trades." - Maurice O'Connell, HR Manager

"Putting this together with Abby and Danielle exemplifies the future of our company." - Thomas Lloyd, Founder & Principal

We look forward to continuing our relationship with Girls Construction Camp in the years to come, and we hope to see some of these aspiring tradeswomen working in our shop someday.

08/04/2026

Adirondack Studios Middle East Achieves Triple ISO Certification!

We are proud to announce that Adirondack Studios Middle East (ADKS ME) has successfully achieved certification to three internationally recognized management system standards through Bureau Veritas, a global leader in testing, inspection, and certification services.

Following an intensive implementation and certification process, ADKS ME has been awarded certification for:

ISO 9001:2015 – Quality Management
ISO 14001:2015 – Environmental Management
ISO 45001:2018 – Occupational Health & Safety Management

This achievement demonstrates ADKS ME's commitment to operational excellence, customer satisfaction, environmental responsibility, and the health, safety, and wellbeing of its employees and stakeholders.

"Achieving certification to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 in less than a year was a significant accomplishment for our organization," said Monika Roksana Szyszlo, Head of QHSE, Middle East and IMS Implementation Lead.

"This achievement reflects the dedication, collaboration, and commitment of our entire team. These certifications are not simply badges of compliance; they represent our commitment to continuous improvement, operational excellence, and delivering value to our clients while protecting our people and the environment."

The successful certification marks an important milestone in the company's strategic development and provides a strong foundation for sustainable growth across the region.

"Monika and the entire ADKS ME team have worked tirelessly to achieve this milestone, and we could not be prouder of what has been accomplished," said Con Strydom, Senior Vice President – Middle East Operations.

"The certification process challenged us to examine every aspect of our operations and become more organized, efficient, and strategic in how we work. Achieving certification in less than a year demonstrates the dedication of our teams and our commitment to excellence. We look forward to building on this success and sharing best practices across the wider Adirondack Studios organization."

As a globally recognized creator of immersive environments, themed attractions, and experiential projects, ADKS ME remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of quality, environmental stewardship, and occupational health and safety while delivering exceptional experiences for clients throughout the region.

Pictured, from left: Grietje Caels, Con Strydom, Monika Roksana Szyszlo

08/03/2026

Even though we are a company with over 360 employees in eight locations around the world, we always enjoy working on projects in our HQ's own backyard.

Or in this case, back lake!

When Yankee Boating Center Sales & Marina decided to convert an 8.000-square-foot steel storage structure on their Diamond Point, NY property into a showroom, they knew they didn't want a sterile, fluorescent-lit cube, jammed with boats and narrow aisles. Instead, they wanted an immersive indoor space that would give clients the feeling of boating on Lake George even when it was 10 degrees outside.

Knowing that Adirondack Studios had techniques of creating just such environments not just for retail but for leisure and entertainment destinations, they turned to us to provide the conceptual design. In addition to the warm interior finishes like paneling and wood cladding, the showroom plans to use backlit imagery that mimics boathouse doors opening onto the lake. The new showroom will increase their display space almost seven-fold, from three boats to 20.

Stay tuned for updates as the project nears its October completion date, and let's MAKE A SCENE.® for your new or re-envisioned retail space.

Yankee Boating Center is a marine dealer for new and used boats from top brands including Lund and Monterey as well as parts and services in West Haverstraw, Clayton, Lake George, Diamond Point, Albany, New York and near White Plains, Ridgewood, Albany, Lake George, Newburgh.

07/29/2026

As Lincoln Center continues to captivate audiences with programming like Summer for the City, "Ragtime," and "The Whoopi Monologues," we're taking a look back at our favorite Lincoln Center moments, as written in our e-book, "Fifty Years of Making a Scene: 1975-2025."

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Lincoln Center, located on Manhattan’s West Side, is indisputably the nation’s leading performing arts campus. A huge undertaking with multiple performance spaces, it was built and expanded, remodeled and renovated over decades, even into the new century.

We should know. Adirondack Studios played a role in its development.

The Avery Fisher Hall was one of the most anticipated performance spaces when it was being built. Unfortunately, the acoustics were a major disappointment. The interior was eventually demolished and rebuilt at the cost of millions. The sound was little improved. High Fidelity magazine renamed it “A Very Fishy Hall.”

Then, in 2005, the summertime Mostly Mozart Festival took over the hall. They moved the orchestra to almost center and hired Fisher Dachs Associates to design the new stage and acoustical reflectors suspended over the stage – which were fabricated by Adirondack Studios.

As for the sound? No further complaints.

We would continue to strike, store, and install the Mostly Mozart stage, acoustic reflectors, and rigging year after year. Later, when Jazz at Lincoln Center built its own set of performing spaces at what is now the Deutsche Bank Center in Columbus Circle, we fabricated the acoustical elements for the Rose Theatre, the largest of the three theaters.

As for the Avery Fisher Hall, when the pandemic silenced the New York Philharmonic, the Hall, now named for music and entertainment mogul David Geffen, was once more completely gutted and rebuilt.

Part of the complete redesign was the installation of a sophisticated series of adjustable acoustical panels to support the numerous musical uses of the hall.

Who did they turn to fabricate the panels? Adirondack Studios.

They also moved the stage itself forward into the hall – much like Mostly Mozart years before.

In October 2022, the new David Geffen Hall opened to the delight of audience members and critics alike. It sounded just right.

07/23/2026

We're getting a charge out of our latest new hire! ⚡

Please welcome Danielle Verkennes to the Adirondack Studios upstate New York team as our new Electrics Department Manager!

Danielle Verkennes is a lighting designer who recently graduated with her MFA in Lighting Design at the University of Connecticut. Originally from Flint, Michigan; she received her undergrad degree in Theatre Design and Technology from the University of Michigan-Flint. Her latest projects include The Crucible, Eurydice and An Absolute Turkey, and she has worked for such performing arts companies as Seagle Music Colony, Astoria Performing Arts Center, Soul Arts Academy, Trinity College, Playwright's Horizons, and Connecticut Repertory Theatre.

In addition to lighting designer, Danielle's role as a freelancer have included stage manager, adjunct professor, electrician and light board operator. She is also versed in Vectorworks, basic carpentry and stagecraft, LightWright, soldering, hand drafting, Sketchup, various light board configurations, and stage combat.

When she's not lighting things up in the studio, you can find her gaming, reading, or roller skating.

So, the next time you're at our global HQ, (electric) slide on over to Danielle's department and watch as she and her team power up some of the world's most anticipated attractions, exhibits and installations.

07/21/2026

Please join us in welcoming Gretchen Pickering to Adirondack Studios' upstate NY paint team!

Gretchen is a creative and imaginative illustrator with strong digital, drawing and painting skills, pushing artistic and creative boundaries within the realm of visual storytelling. Prior to joining ADKS, she was a Paint & Props Production Assistant at Plague Productions, and she has been self-employed as a freelance illustrator and artist since 2018. She holds an BA in Art, Interdisciplinary Design, and Digital Media Studies from the University of Minnesota and an MFA in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design.

Outside of the painting studio, she enjoys making children's books with her twin sister, binge watching her favorite TV shows, and absorbing herself in a good book.

As our new Paint Department Manager, Abigail Cox, begins building her Argyle headquarters team, Gretchen is one of her first hires. We're excited to see the department develop and for what Gretchen will create!