Past Exhibitions
Of Time and the Mohawk River

February 15, 2014 – June 1, 2014
The exhibition features painted, sketched and printed views of the Mohawk River and Erie Canal from the mid 18th through the 21st century.

S. George (active mid-1800s)
oil on canvas
Dinotopia: The Fantastical Art of James Gurney

Exhibition organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum
October 27,2013-February 9, 2014
James Gurney’s Dinotopia brings the worlds of science and the imagination to life by chronicling Arthur and Will Denison's remarkable experiences on a lost island in vibrant color and meticulous detail. Recounted in words and pictures in the best-selling book series, Dinotopia: A Land Apart From Time (1992), Dinotopia: The World Beneath (1995), and Dinotopia: First Flight (1999), the artist’s compelling tale has engaged and enchanted readers by inviting them to explore the far reaches of a mysterious destination. Waterfall City, the island’s center of learning, The Hatchery, birthplace of many of Dinotopia’s prehistoric inhabitants, and The Forbidden Mountains, where dinosaurs dare not venture, are just a few of the places described in Arthur Denison’s fictional journal and in the outstanding works on view.

Inspired by a deep and abiding interest in archaeology, lost civilizations, and the art of illustration, James Gurney invites viewers to enter a fantastical world in which dinosaurs and humans live side-by-side. His luminous paintings, beautifully crafted drawings and hand-made models, which are featured in this exhibition, explore the wonders of the distant past through the lens of the imagination.

Sponsored in part by Fenimore Asset Management, Inc.and MacKenzie & Tallent.

James Gurney
The Excursion 1995, Oil on canvas mounted to plywood
© James Gurney All rights reserved
An American in Venice: James McNeill Whistler and His Legacy

July 28, 2013 - October 20, 2013

In 1879 American artist James McNeill Whistler arrived in Italy with a commission from the Fine Arts Society of London to create twelve etchings of Venice. Over the ensuing fourteen months the artist produced a body of prints that are among the most important of his career. The prints from Whistler’s Venice period are distinguished by the artist’s original approach to capturing the unique qualities of the canaled city and his innovative use of the etching process. His prints have arguably become the most studied prints in the history of art– after those of Rembrandt – and they had a significant influence on his followers.

This exhibit presents eleven prints by Whistler, placing them alongside the work of followers who were practicing in Italy in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. The juxtaposition of these works allows the viewer to appreciate both Whistler’s innovations and the different ways in which his work affected the artists who followed him. While artists such as John Marin are well known today, and Mortimer Menpes and Joseph Pennell still enjoy a modicum of fame, other artists in this exhibit, like Minna Bolingbroke, have faded. Whistler’s legacy lies in his far-reaching vision for both his medium and his subject, which has made his art significant for a remarkably broad range of colleagues.

The exhibition is organized by the Syracuse University Art Gallery
The Arkell Museum owns a painting by Whistler that will be included in this exhibition.

This exhibition is funded in part by the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency, Fenimore Asset Management, and the Montgomery County Occupancy Tax administered by the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors.

Whistler
James M. Whistler (1834-1903)
Fishing Boat, 1879-1880
etching on laid paper

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The mission of the Arkell Museum at Canajoharie and the Canajoharie Library is to promote and celebrate the understanding and enjoyment of the arts and humanities in Canajoharie, the Mohawk Valley, and beyond. The Arkell Museum collects, preserves, researches and presents American Art and Mohawk Valley History, and promotes active participation in art and history related activities, to enhance knowledge, appreciation and personal exploration by all.

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