Local Artist Brings North Country to the White House

Linda Parks is bringing Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks to a White House Christmas celebration this week. As part of the artist's depiction, both North Country landmarks are displayed on an ornament that will adorn a 20-foot Fraser fir, which will decorate the Blue Room.


Each year, first Lady Laura Bush chooses a theme for the White House Christmas tree. Last year, the theme was National Parks, but this Christmas Bush invited members of Congress to pick an artist from their district to create a scene that represents the area. Linda Parks used tissue paper to create a layered landscape of mountains in rich purple and blue for the lake and in light of the Christmas spirit, she then covered the ball with sparkles.


Linda wrote a little message around the ornament, which reads, "From the icy crystals of Lake Champlain to the purple majesty of the Adirondack, winter in the twenty-third congressional district, NY".


As an added honor, she and her husband, Robert, received an invitation at the White House December 2. Bush will be attending the ceremony, as will the other artists for this year's tree.


[Adirondacks, New York, White House, Laura Bush, Christmas]