Canajoharie Gallery Houses Notable American Works
Published Apr 15, 2008
The Arkell Museum in Canajoharie houses an impressive collection.
What began in the 1880s as a lending library has emerged as an important center for American art. Bartlett Arkell, a respected industrialist and one of the founders of the Beech-Nut Co., built the Canajoharie Library and Art Gallery in 1925. Over the years, the building has been renovated to meet evolving needs. The most recent project – completed in September in partnership with the Arkell Hall Foundation – featured a $10.5 million expansion that doubled the library and museum size to nearly 35,000 square feet.
Director Eric Trahan says the larger space is better able to accommodate on-site event programming and house the museum’s prestigious collection, which is particularly strong in watercolors.
“The collection’s best known artist is Winslow Homer,” Trahan says. “We have 21 works by Homer – seven oils and 14 watercolors.”
Recognized for works by American impressionists, the newly christened Arkell Museum also features paintings by Andrew Wyeth, James Whistler, John Singer Sargent, Georgia O’Keeffe and Grandma Moses.
Trahan says regional artists are also featured in changing exhibitions housed in the Canajoharie Library portion of the facility.
“In addition to the art gallery, we are a regional history museum. That’s something newer to our mission,” Trahan explains.
The larger footprint has allowed room for the growing collection of historical Mohawk Valley materials including photographs, diaries and letters that tell the compelling story of both the Arkell family and the region.
Story by Cindy Sanders
Photo by Stephen Cherry
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