Arkell Museum facts for kids
The Arkell Museum
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| Location | Canajoharie, New York |
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| Type | Art Museum |
The Arkell Museum is a special place in Canajoharie, New York. It has a huge collection of American paintings, mostly from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. You can also learn about the history of the Mohawk River Valley and the famous Beech-Nut baby food company here.
The museum started with the Canajoharie Library, which opened in 1924. An art gallery was added in 1927. The museum was built to show off beautiful art collected by Bartlett Arkell. He was an important businessman in the town. Many people are surprised by how many amazing American artists have their work displayed here, especially for a museum in a smaller town.
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Who Was Bartlett Arkell?
Bartlett Arkell was the person who created the Arkell Museum. He loved art and wanted to share it with his hometown. He bought and gave many wonderful American paintings to the museum.
Arkell got ideas for his museum from famous art museums he visited. He saw galleries in Europe and the United States. Some of these included the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, England. He also admired the gallery that held The Night Watch at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Many of the paintings you see at the museum were chosen by Arkell himself. He grew up in Canajoharie. So, he especially liked landscapes of rural New York State and the Mohawk River. These familiar scenes can be seen hanging on the museum walls.
Amazing Art Collections
The Arkell Museum has a fantastic collection of American art. It focuses on paintings from 1860 to 1940.
Famous American Painters
The museum's main collection includes many well-known artists. You can see twenty-one paintings by Winslow Homer. He was famous for his scenes of American life and nature.
The museum also has works by all the artists from a group called "The Eight." These artists liked to paint everyday life in cities.
Leading American Impressionists are also featured. These artists used bright colors and visible brushstrokes. One example is Childe Hassam.
Other important painters with several works here include George Inness and Ralph Albert Blakelock. They were known for their beautiful landscape paintings.
20th Century American Art
The museum also has American paintings from the 1900s. These include realist and regionalist works. Realist artists paint things as they really look. Regionalist artists focused on scenes from specific parts of America.
Some of these artists are Paul Sample, Ogden Pleissner, and Thomas Benton. Their art shows different aspects of American life and landscapes.
Decorative Arts
Besides paintings, the museum has a collection of decorative arts. Bartlett Arkell wanted to add beautiful objects to the museum and library. This collection includes furniture, sculptures, glass, and pottery. These items show good design and craftsmanship from different periods.
Images for kids
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A view inside the Arkell Museum.
