Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute in Utica, New York

When one wants to see American Art of past and present, one tends to think of visiting a handful of large American Museums: The Metropolitan Museum, The Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of a Modern Art in New York City; the Art Institute of Chicago and the National Gallery in Washington (among many more) come to mind. But there are literally hundreds of small museums across the country that house remarkable collections of paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture by the most recognized American artists of past and present. Some of these museums are right in our own backyards.

Upstate New York has a wealth of such small museums and galleries. One of the best collections of nineteenth and twentieth century American paintings is that of the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute in Utica, New York.

Founded in 1919 by a wealthy extended family of Utica, Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute (MWPAI) houses both a modern museum and a gorgeously resplendent restored Victorian house, called Fountain Elms the original home of its founding family. The modern museum is itself a landmark as it was designed by the famed architect, Philip Johnson.

Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute has a remarkable collection of Hudson River School paintings, including works by virtually all the major figures of that period including Frederick Church, Asher Durand and Albert Bierstadt among many more, Most notably, they own a full set of four paintings called The voyage of Life by Thomas Cole. Cole did four sets of these paintings, one of which is owned by the Metropolitan museum . There is almost always a selection of Hudson River School paintings on view.

When it comes ot 20th century art, however, this museum was the lucky recipient of the Edward Root Collection. Edward W. Root was a prodigious collector and supporter of the development of modern art. The son of Elihu Root, a US senator and secretary of War, Edward Root taught art appreciation at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. He knew and encouraged many early 20th century painters including giving notable support to Charles Burchfield. His collection includes works by the Ashcan School , the Synchromists, the Abstract Expressionists and other American art movements and by such artists as Charles Sheeler, Raphael Soyer, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, John Sloan, Robert Henri, and Edward Hopper. He also collected works by European modernists such as Kandinsky and Mondrian. The list of works in the Root collection is far too vast to cover. But the museum regularly has a selection of this collection on view in addition to is current and changing exhibitions. Many of MWPAI's permanent collection pieces are those that have not be seen by many and have not been commonly reproduced in books. Thus, for those who savor Modern Art, Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute offers some rarely seen gems by 20th century masters.

Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute is at 310 Genesee Street in Utica, New York. Admission is free. It is well worth the trip.