The Arkell Museum in Canajoharie, New York Has Gems of American Art

All across the United States, there are many little-known small and superb art collections which have hidden gems of American Art.

One such collection is the Arkell Museum in the tiny town of Canajoharie, New York, right at Exit 29 on the New York State Thruway (I-90).

The Arkell museum which opened in 2008, was built to house the great number of 19th century paintings lovingly collected by Bartlett Arkell, who originated and owned the famous Beech-Nut Company. Beech-Nut had long been the life-blood of Canajoharie. When Arkell was alive, he was a benvolent and paternal presence in a town where his one massive factory nearly supported the entire local economy.

What is fascinating about this museum is that it has been intentionally designed to include the inter-twined history of the Beech-Nut Company and Arkell's involvement in art. Bartlett not only collected fine paintings but commissioned great American artists and illustrators, from Norman Rockwell to the Hudson River School painter, Edward Gay, to produce works for Beech-Nut's magazine advertising, and for illustrations on Beech-Nut promotional holiday tins.

However, Arkell was an all-purpose art collector whose sharp eye and foresight, as well as his ample resources, enabled him to purchase works by the best American artists of the 19th and early 20th century.

As the Arkell website describes: (http://www.arkellmuseum.org/collections.html) the collection includes 21 works by Winslow Homer, and important paintings by George Inness, William M. Chase, Childe Hassam, Mary Cassatt, Georgia O'Keeffe, Andrew Wyeth, Maurice Prendergast, Robert Henri, and other members of The Eight.

For many years, the collection, was housed in a wonderful but tiny Victorian-style gallery, built by Arkell, that was physically connected with the Canajoharie Public Library. The Beech-Nut company factory which still operates, is directly across the street from the original gallery / library (and now the Arkell Museum which is built on the same site). Bartlett Arkell believed that workers at his factory deserved to be exposed to great art and music. The museum shows photographs of workers being serenaded by pianists hired to make their tasks more enjoyable. Some of these photos can be seen on the Arkell's site (http://www.arkellmuseum.org/beechnut.html).

The museum, which expands that original gallery, has a fascinating design. The museum's name is mounted on its roof in a manner which echoes the way the letters for BEECHNUT are hung atop the factory across the street.

Bartlett Arkell understood the importance of the various schools of 19th century American art which collided at the end of the 19th century, from the Hudson River School to the American Impressionists. In addition to paintings by the artists listed above, the collection has a famous piece by Whistler, a major work by Edmund Tarbell, and, as previously mentioned, numerous important pieces-- both oils and watercolors-- by Winslow Homer, among many many others.

Thanks to the new museum which provides ample exhibition space, more of this collection can be seen at any particular time. The museum also holds exhibitions of contemporary work.

Hours and schedules for museum events are located on the Arkell Museum's excellent webstie: http://www.arkellmuseum.org/index.html.

If you are traveling through Upstate New York, a visit to the Arkell Museum is highly recommended.