Rockwell Museum facts for kids
The Rockwell Museum, 2015
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| Established | 1976 |
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| Location | Corning, New York, USA |
| Type | Art museum |
| Accreditation | American Association of Museums, Smithsonian Affiliate |
| Key holdings | Albert Bierstadt's Mount Whitney |
| Collections | American art, Native American art |
| Collection size | Roughly 5,000+ |
| Visitors | Approximately 48,000 per year |
| Founder | Bob and Hertha Rockwell |
| Nearest parking | On site, behind building (no charge to park) |
The Rockwell Museum is a cool place to explore American art. It's located in downtown Corning, New York, in the southern part of New York State. Many people think it's one of the best small museums in the Northeast United States. In 2015, The Rockwell Museum became a Smithsonian Affiliate. This means it's connected to the famous Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C. It was the first museum outside of New York City to get this special connection!
Contents
Discovering the Museum's History
The Rockwell Family's Vision
The museum was started by a man named Robert F. Rockwell, Jr. He moved to Corning in 1933. He took over his grandfather's department store. In 1959, Bob bought his first painting of the American West. Over the next 25 years, he collected many amazing things. These included paintings, bronze sculptures, and drawings. He also gathered many Native American items.
Bob and his wife, Hertha, had another special interest. They were friends with Frederick Carder. He founded the Steuben Glass Works, a famous glass company. The Rockwells collected over 2,500 pieces of Carder Steuben glass. They also had a small collection of old toys.
How the Museum Began
From 1960 to 1975, Bob Rockwell's art collection was shown to the public. You could see it right in his department store! In 1973, some leaders from Corning Glass Works wanted to help. They decided to give the collection a proper home. Their plan was to fix up the old City Hall building. This would be a gift to the community. It would also be a big attraction for visitors.
The museum first opened on November 13, 1976. It was called The Rockwell-Corning Museum. It was located in the Baron Steuben Hotel. In 1981, its name changed to The Rockwell Museum.
Moving to the Old City Hall
In 1980, the City of Corning offered its old City Hall building. This building was built in 1893. It was already a historic place. Corning Glass Works paid for all the big repairs. They fixed both the inside and outside of the building. On June 19, 1982, the museum opened again. It was now in the beautiful, restored Old City Hall.
In 1995, the museum earned a special award. It was given accreditation by the American Association of Museums. This means it met high standards for museums.
Exciting Renovations and New Ideas
In 2000, the museum closed for a big update. They wanted to become "The Best of the West in the East." This meant showing the best Western art. The museum reopened on May 18, 2001. It was now called the Rockwell Museum of Western Art. It also celebrated its 25th birthday!
In July 2014, the name became shorter again. It was simply The Rockwell Museum. They also added a fun Family Exploration Studio. This is a hands-on area for learning. In 2015, the museum became a Smithsonian Affiliate. This was a big honor!
The Historic Old City Hall Building
The building that houses the museum has a long history. In 1972, a big flood happened. The basement and first floor were badly damaged. But even so, the building was recognized as a historic place in 1974. In 1982, it became the museum's permanent home.
The building was designed by AJ Warner. It was built in 1893. It's in a special American style called Richardsonian Romanesque. It cost about $28,579.50 to build back then. It uses local brick and limestone. The original bell from the bell tower is now at the city's fire station.
From 1893 to 1974, the ground floor was the Corning Fire Station. The first floor had the City Clerk's office and the Police Department. There were even jail cells! The second floor had the City Council Chambers. The third floor was home to a public library and a youth center.
Community Connections
Alley Art Project
Since 2010, the museum has run the "Alley Art Project." The museum's education team works with local high school students. These students design and paint murals. They get ideas from the art in The Rockwell's collection. You can see these murals in the alleyways of Corning, NY. This project helps students who might be at risk of dropping out of school.
For the museum's 40th anniversary, students worked with artist Virgil Ortiz. They studied his Ancient Elder sculpture. This sculpture is part of Ortiz's futuristic story. It's about restoring sacred lands to the Pueblo people. Inspired by this, students created their own "super power" characters. These characters help bring about important changes, like equality for everyone. You can find this mural on Bridge Street in Corning.
You can find all the murals on the Corning Public Art Map.
Garden of Fire Summer Program
The Rockwell Museum also works with other groups. They offer a summer program called "Garden of Fire." This program is for children in the area. It helps kids learn about art and science together. It's a fun way to explore new things during the summer!
Dia de los Muertos Celebration
Every October, middle school Spanish students get involved. They create decorations for a Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) altar. This altar is set up in the museum's Student Gallery. The museum celebrates this event each year. It includes music, presentations, and traditional crafts. The Rockwell Museum has celebrated Dia de los Muertos since 2004.
Amazing Art Collections
The museum has three floors filled with art. It focuses on American art and artifacts. It also features modern Native American art and bronze sculptures. Here are some of the cool things you can see:
- Albert Bierstadt's "Mount Whitney" painting
- Ed Mell, "Jack Knife, 1993" Sculpture
- Robb Kendrick Tin Type Portraits
- Frederic Remington's "The Winter Campaign," "The Cheyenne," and "The Arizona Cowboy"
- Ernest Leonard Blumenschein's "Jury for Trail of a Sheepherder for Murder"
- Charles Marion Russell's "A Mix Up," and "One Down, Two to Go"
- Deborah Butterfield bronze sculptures
- Ernest Blumenschein's "Star Road and White Sun"
- Sydney Laurence's "Mount McKinley," 1922
- Frederick Carder Glass Collection
Other artists in the museum include Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, N.C. Wyeth, William R Leigh, Thomas Moran, Cyrus Edwin Dallin, and Andy Warhol.
In 2013, Albert Bierstadt's "Mount Whitney" got a new frame. It's a copy of an 1870s American frame. This new frame helps show off this important painting. Another cool piece is Ed Mell's "Jack Knife" sculpture from 1993. You can see it outside the museum on the corner of Cedar Street and Denison Parkway.
Past and Present Exhibits
The Rockwell Museum often has special exhibits. These shows bring in new and exciting art. Here are some examples of past exhibits:
- Lock, Stock & Barrel: Historic firearms from the collection of Robert F. "Bobby" Rockwell III (2013–2015)
- Painted Journeys: In the Spirit of American West (2014)
- Untouched by Chaos: Karl Bodmer and the American Wilderness (2014–2015)
- On Fire: the Nancy & Alan Cameros Collection of Southwestern Pottery (2014–2016)
- The sculptures of Abraham Anghik Ruben (2014)
- Illustration and Imagination: W.H.D. Koerner's Western Paintings (2014)
- Harmless Hunter: Charles M. Russell's Wildlife Art (2014–2015)
- A Feeling of Humanity: Western Art from the Ken Ratner Collection (2014–2015)
- Touching on Water: Paintings by Thomas Paquette (2015)
- Between the States: Photographs of the American Civil War from the George Eastman House Collection (2015)
- The Colorado River: Flowing Through Conflict, Photographs by Pete McBride (2015–2016)
- Richard Parrish: Aerial Perspectives of the American Landscape (2016)
- Art of the Parks: Celebrating 100 Years of the National Park Service (2016)
- Historic Photographs of Watkins Glen State Park (2016)
- American Masterworks of Howard Terpning: Highlights from the Eddie Basha Collection (2016)
- 40 for 40: Anniversary Highlights from the Permanent Collection (2016–2017)
- Modernist Masters, Contemporary Icons: Highlights from the Old Jail Art Center (2017)
- Marie Watt: The Western Door (2017)
- The Harmon and Harriet Kelley Collection of African-American Art: Works on Paper (2017)
The museum has also shown works from National Geographic, including photos by Ansel Adams and William Henry Jackson. There was also an Andy Warhol: Cowboys and Indians exhibit.
You can also see pottery by famous artists like Tammy Garcia, Joseph Lonewolf, Nancy Youngblood, Margaret Tafoya, Maria Martinez, Al Qoyawayma, and Popovi Da.
Images for kids
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The Rockwell Museum, 2015
