March 1, 2025 through December 30, 2025

…the Erie Canal exerted no mean effect upon the Nation. Its influence spread beyond and strove to efface our local boundaries and to make of the loose confederation of States and territories one united people.

The Erie Canal Centennial Celebration, 1928

Completed in 1825, the Erie Canal was a triumph of early engineering that carried an unprecedented volume of traffic 363 miles from Albany to Buffalo, influencing settlement, agricultural and industrial choices and patterns in New York State and beyond.

Throngs of people traveled the Canal out of curiosity and pleasure, reaching previously inaccessible places, and documenting their experiences and impressions in letters, journals, and travelogues. Artists and writers found ready subjects at every bend, from quiet landscapes to bustling canal towns.

This exhibition recognizes the bicentennial anniversary of the completion of the Canal, shares recollections of early travelers, and celebrates the continued importance of the Erie Canal and Mohawk River.

This exhibition is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

S. Georges (active mid-1800s)
Erie Canal, 1856
Oil on canvas
Gift of Bartlett Arkell, 1940