History

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The Upper Jay Art Center (UJAC) was founded by Scott and Byron Renderer in 2005 as a place to enjoy music, theater, and visual art. In 2008, it incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and, with a wink and a nod the brothers, upholsterers by trade, named the performance space the Recovery Lounge. Over the past decade, the Lounge has become an essential gathering place in the Ausable River Valley, bringing an eclectic array of professional musicians to this rural corner of the northeast Adirondacks throughout the year and staging plays by classic and contemporary playwrights, acted by an ever expanding troupe of local talent. UJAC also hosts play and poetry readings, performance art, dance, and art exhibits. All events are affordable and many are free. Guests can expect a relaxed environment with warm acoustics, comfortable vintage furniture, and a diverse audience of all ages.

In 2022, UJAC’s founding Artistic Director, Scott Renderer, stepped down, passing the baton to a new generation of artistic leadership. Gabrielle Schutz, an interdisciplinary theater artist, is UJAC’s new Artistic Director, with plans to offer a fresh perspective while maintaining the legacy of the Upper Jay Art Center’s Recovery Lounge. 

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UJAC is located in a former Ford assembly plant and showroom on Route 9N at the heart of Upper Jay. Built in 1920, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.