June 23, 2018 through December 29, 2019

Museum founder Bartlett Arkell was a noted art lover with a keen interest in the Mohawk Valley. In 1925, he presented a Library to the people of Canajoharie and lent twelve paintings from his private collection to adorn the walls. This first cultural gift to the Village was built from the stone of an 1840 Erie Canal grain store and now serves as our reading room. Arkell opened an attached Art Gallery in 1927 with a permanent collection “replete with beautiful notes for landscapists and suggestive and vital themes for historical painters.” For Arkell, this region’s past and present were equally important. He continued to acquire artwork with a focus on American art, history, and artists representing New York and its early Dutch heritage. This exhibition celebrates his vision of the Mohawk Valley, a place where landscape, history, and people are forever entwined.