Argyle Washington County Entrepreneurs

Universal Studios | Far From Drawing A Blank: Graphic Artist Joe ...

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SCHUYLERVILLE – Joe Hladik has been an illustrator and graphic artist for the likes of NASA, General Dynamics and Universal Studios, some of America’s largest employers.

Now he and his wife, Sandy, are small business owners, operating The Little Gallery Down Under at 161 Broad St. – the former home of Macica Violins.

It’s Schuylerville’s third gallery, joining Ivy Associates and Riverfront Gallery, helping to create what the village hopes will eventually become a hub for aspiring artists.

“They did a traffic study here not long ago,” Hladik said. “Ten thousand cars go by here every week. It’s busy in summer and winter with skiers headed to Vermont.”

The couple lives in Wilton, where Hladik also has a studio. However, they needed a place for him to show and sell his work.

“I was driving by here one day and saw a For Rent sign,” Sandy said. “The space was exactly what I was looking for. I thought, this is perfect for a gallery.”

It first opened last October, and after spending three months in Florida, the Hladiks reopened their doors in March.

Hladik specializes in rural landscapes and woodland scenes, using watercolors and acrylics. Pieces range from barnyard animals to a bull moose he personally encountered in Argyle, Washington County. Another, called “Vermont Homecoming,” depicts a solider coming home from World War II at Bennington’s train station.

He’s also done a number of pen-and-ink drawings of historic Saratoga Springs landmarks such as its grand old hotels. There’s no shortage of subjects, from Saratoga Race Course to New York City Ballet.

One of Hladik’s most popular ventures is a series of dog portraits. He started with the couple’s own canine, a golden retriever, which triggered considerable interest from other dog owners.

A Schenectady native, Hladik studied at the Art Institute of Boston. For four years, starting in 1965, he worked for NASA at John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where he designed its public information center and did illustrations ranging from engineering drawings to advertising brochures.

That was followed by a stint at General Dynamics’ surface ship division in Quincy, Mass. Then he moved back to the local area, working for Hawley Taft Advertising in Queensbury, and 14 years as graphics design manager for NAMIC Corp. in Glens Falls.

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