The Hudson Valley has its share of world-class art museums and galleries. Among current local exhibitions, you can choose “Mary Frank: The Observing Heart” at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art in New Paltz; “This Tender, Fragile Thing” at Jack Shainman Gallery: The School in Kinderhook; and Emily Oliveira’s “Red Velvet, Orange Crush” at Geary gallery, not to mention the permanent collection of conceptual art at Dia: Beacon (which offers free admission March 27 for HV residents!). But if you’re willing to wander past those boundaries, there’s a wealth of other museums that are quite worthy of your travel time (and precious tankful of gas). Here are some that are day-trippin’ delights—ranging from fine art to folk art, and nearly everything in between:
You’ll have to hold off visiting this museum for a few weeks—it opens in April—but it will be worth the wait. The Bennington Museum holds the largest public collection of paintings by the great American folk artist Anna Mary Robertson “Grandma” Moses, who lived in nearby Eagle Bridge, NY. The schoolhouse that the artist attended in Eagle Bridge was moved to the museum grounds in 1972, and is a gallery for student and teacher exhibitions. The 10-acre grounds include the Hadwen Woods and George Aiken Wildflower Trail, featuring native species of wildflowers and plants that were listed in Vermont governor George Aiken’s 1935 Pioneering with Wildflowers.
Hours: Thursday through Monday, 10am-4pm
Admission: adults, $12; seniors (62+) and students 18 and over, $10; aged 17 and under, free.
75 Main Street, Bennington, VT
(802) 447-1571
Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery
The Tang—located at Skidmore College, whose philosophy highlights creativity across all disciplines—works hand-in-hand with faculty and students, involving them as curators and advisors and originating nearly all of its 12 annual exhibitions from the school. Unlike most conventional curatorial practice, exhibitions at Tang often cross time periods and mediums—like the current “Lauren Kelley: Location Scouting,” in which artist/curator Lauren Kelley combines drawings, sculpture, and stop-motion video, culminating in a collaboration with a sculptor, an animator, and a performance artist. The Antoine Predock-designed gallery includes four gallery wings, two classrooms, an event space, and an elevator that itself serves as exhibition space (don’t miss the ongoing “Elevator Music”). Hint: Leave plenty of time to explore the restaurants and shopping in downtown Saratoga Springs.
Hours: Thursdays, noon-9pm; Friday through Sunday, noon-5pm
Admission: Free, but donations are suggested.
815 North Broadway
Saratoga Springs
(518) 580-8080
The Arkell focuses on American art, primarily 1860-1940, from artists including Winslow Homer, Childe Hassam, Mary Cassatt, John Singer Sargent, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Andrew Wyeth. Catch the current exhibitions “New York State Grange Photographs by Andrew Baugnet,” examining the legacy of New York State granges; or “What Do You See? Portraits from the Arkell Museum Collection,” a collection of visitor favorites as well as rarely exhibited pieces. Remembering its roots, the Arkell devotes a permanent exhibit to the history of the Beech-Nut food company, whose founder Bartlett Arkell also founded the museum (sorry, Guy Fieri, but you didn’t coin this phrase: Canajoharie was once known as "Flavortown"). If you visit on a day with good weather, spend some time at the nearby Riverfront Park on the Mohawk River.
Hours: Tuesday through Friday: 10am-5pm
Admission: adults, $9; students, seniors, $6.50; children 11 and under, free when accompanied by an adult. Admission is free for active-duty military, and 50 percent off admission fees for their entire party.
Saturday and Sunday: 12pm-5pm
2 Erie Blvd, Canajoharie
(518) 673-2314
Corning Museum of Glass
An entire museum devoted to glass? You bet, and it’s a cool one. Schedule plenty of time to peruse this place: There are more than 50,000 pieces representing 35 centuries of glass history (Dustin Yellin, whose work appeared on Chronogram’s January 2021 cover, has work in the Corning Museum’s permanent collection). “Fire and Vine: The Story of Glass and Wine”—on view through December 31—explores how glass touches wine, and features a rare, 2,000-year-old fragment of cameo glass. Celebrating glass from function to form, the museum brings glass to life through glassworking demonstrations and hands-on Make Your Own Glass workshops. And you could seriously spend the entire day in its 100,000-square-foot Contemporary Art + Design Wing; museum admission tickets are good for two consecutive days, so you could extend your day trip to an overnight to take in all the exhibits and also take advantage of the beautiful Finger Lakes region in which the museum sits.
Hours: 9am–5pm daily
Admission (museum only): Adults, $20; seniors, students, military, $17; age 17 and under, free. Extra fees apply for workshops.
1 Museum Way
Corning
(607) 937-5371
Echoing Shakespeare’s quote, “Though she be but little, she is fierce,” The Hyde packs a diverse collection in a relatively small museum. The core collection was acquired by museum founders Louis and Charlotte Hyde, and includes works by European artists El Greco and Rembrandt, as well as works from American artists like Winslow Homer and James McNeill Whistler. Modern and contemporary artists including Josef Albers and Grace Hartigan are also represented. On view currently: “Robert Blackburn & Modern American Printmaking,” exploring the 20th-century artists’ life and work; and Pattern of Leaves, a Georgia O’Keeffe painting on loan from The Phillips Collection that celebrates the artist’s association with Lake George and the Adirondacks.
Hours: Thursday through Sunday, 10am-5pm
Admission: Adults, $12; seniors, $10; 17 and under, free.
161 Warren Street
Glens Falls
(518) 792-1761
Named for the novelist James Fenimore Cooper, who once owned the land on which it stands (and for whose family the village of Cooperstown is named), this museum (opening for the season on April 1) holds a comprehensive collection of American art, from Hudson River School painters like Thomas Cole and Asher Durand to contemporary artists like Tracy Helgeson and John Nieto. Reflecting fine art, folk art, photography, and an extensive collection of Native American artistry, the Fenimore tells the American story with depth and precision. For a more experiential look at history, add time in your schedule to visit The Farmers’ Museum across the street, as well as Doubleday Field in downtown Cooperstown.
Hours: April 1-May 2: Tues-Sun, 10am–4pm
May 2-October 11: Open daily, 10am–5pm
Adults (13-64) $12.00; seniors (65+) $10.50; children (12 and under), free. Admission is free for museum members, active military, and retired career military personnel.
5798 Route 80, Cooperstown
(888) 547-1450
The Everson opened in 1968 and has been a museum of “firsts” ever since: the first to collect video art, the first to create a docent program, and the first museum designed by architect I. M. Pei, who would later design the glass-and-steel pyramid for the Louvre. The Everson now houses more than 10,000 works of art: American paintings, sculpture, drawings, video, graphics, and one of the largest holdings of international ceramics in the nation. Currently, you can view “Forever is Composed of Nows,” examining a multitude of snapshots of the present moment; and exhibits by Arlene Abend and Dawn Williams Boyd. This year, the Everson debuts Louise, a “farm-to-kiln-to-table restaurant” where patrons can enjoy food and drink on functional ceramic art.
Hours: Thursday, 11am–8pm; Wednesday and Friday, 11am–5pm; Saturday and Sunday, 10am-5pm
Admission: Adults, $8; seniors and students, $6; free to members, children under 12, military members; $1 with EBT card.
401 Harrison Street, Syracuse
(315) 474-6064
