Fenimore Art Museum: Americana on Display

The Fenimore Art Museum honors the contribution of American artists. New York's artists including Native American artisans from the last two hundred-plus years are highlighted here in the hometown of perhaps New York's most famous writer: James Fenimore Cooper. He grew up in Cooperstown.

Contained in the Fenimore Art Museum's permanent collection is an example of one of the oldest landscape paintings ever painted in America: the painting was crafted in 1733.

Collections

American Indian Art
There are 850 items that are displayed in the permanent collection with examples of Native American artisans from nearly every part of the United States.

American Folk Art
There is a large presence of American Folk Art in the museum with examples of such items as wall hangings, quilts, ship weathervanes, cigar store figures, carvings, trade signs, paintings, and decorative stoneware.

American Fine Art
Works of The Hudson River School are on display at the Fenimore Art Museum. Gilbert Stuart crafted a painting of one of James Fenimore Cooper's ancestors: that painting is in the permanent collection. All of the fine art at the museum is by American artists and a lot of it is from the era--the mid 19th century-- when American painters were beginning to do paintings of life as opposed to doing portraits of people working.

Photography Collection
There is a collection of pictures spanning a hundred years of life in New York by the photography firm of Smith & Telfer. The full collection of 60,000 photos can be seen on the museum's website.

The Last of the Mohicans
The Fenimore Art Museum has the 19th century painting The Last of the Mohicans by Thomas Coles... since the museum bears the name of the writer of the book with the same title from James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales it seems appropriate the museum should have the painting as well.

Life Masks
The museum has life masks by John Henry Isaac Browere...18th century historical figures such as Thomas Jefferson, Dolly Madison, John Quincy Adams, and DeWitt Clinton have their faces preserved in this very unique type of art.

Cooperstown's Charm
The Fenimore Art Museum is a wonderful treat...the works of art in the museum sit in a huge neo-Georgian mansion and doesn't look like a museum from first glance. It looks like a huge, palatial mansion. It sits on Lake Otsego...you can dine on the gorgeous terrace at the back of the museum where the beautifully landscaped back lawn highlights the gorgeous sight of Lake Otsego.

A Great Tourist Town
It sits just a short drive from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and right across the street from the Farmers' Museum where you can also see examples of American art work and many other period farm items as well. All three of these museums in Cooperstown cooperate to offer a combined fee for all three of the town's museums for a discounted price. You can buy a combined ticket at any of the three museums. The ticket is good for one visit to any of the museums within one year of the date of purchase. In 2011 the price of an adult admission to the Fenimore Art Museum is $12 while the combined ticket for all three museums is $36.50. Left-click the highlighted words above to find out about all admission policies. The museum has information on how to apply for grants to help your school group visit the museum.

Resources:
www.fenimoreartmuseum.org