NEWSLETTER
Whether you're an art lover, history buff, or pop culture enthusiast, New York State's world-class museums are guaranteed to leave a lasting impression. What better way to warm up during the winter months than by spending the day exploring an exciting exhibit? Walk through original studio sets from Everybody Loves Raymond at the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, learn about American history through the lens of still life paintings at the Memorial Art Gallery, or celebrate six decades of Barbie at the New York State Museum–there’s something for everyone! Be sure to add these must-see Empire State exhibits to your winter itinerary before they're gone. Photo credit: @daytrippingroc on Instagram
JUMP TO: Greater Niagara | Long Island | Finger Lakes | Hudson Valley | Capital-Saratoga | New York City | Chautauqua-Allegheny | Central New York | Adirondacks | Thousand Islands-Seaway | Catskills
Greater Niagara
USA 250: Celebrating the American Vision at The Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University
Commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary at the Castellani Art Museum at USA 250: Celebrating the American Vision, reflecting on the ideas, struggles, and aspirations that have shaped the United States. Admire artwork from the museum’s permanent collection and explore how generations of artists have interpreted what America means, telling the story not just of where we have been, but the future that we hope to write.
One With Eternity: Yayoi Kusama at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum
Credit: @buffaloakgartmuseum on Instagram
Experience the renowned work of Yayoi Kusama at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum's One With Eternity exhibit, honoring the artist’s distinctive vision of self-obliteration explored across media. Uncover the depth of her artistic practice through three immersive installations, including two of her famous Infinity Mirror Rooms and a selection of small paintings and sculpture alongside biographical information and photos of Kusama over the course of her career.
Long Island
Our Unfinished Revolution(s) at the Hofstra University Art Museum
Commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and signing of the Declaration of Independence at the Hofstra University Art Museum’s newest exhibition, Our Unfinished Revolution(s). Visitors will reflect on how the Declaration’s promises of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness have been challenged throughout history, paying homage to the women, Indigenous peoples, Black Americans, and immigrants who fought for equality, and in doing so maintained the spirit of the American Revolution.
Everybody Loves Raymond: Celebrating 30 Years at the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame
Celebrate 30 years of Everybody Loves Raymond at the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame’s newest exhibit! Step into the world of the Barone family and explore original studio sets like the living room, kitchen, and other areas of the house and a variety of iconic items including original clothing, the famous fork and spoon, and the Christmas toaster. Plus, behind the scenes, rare out-takes, and other multimedia clips will be playing in the LIMEHOF’s surround sound theater.
Finger Lakes
Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body at the Strong Museum of Play
Credit: @cgoverts on Instagram
Explore all things stinky, crusty, and slimy at the Strong Museum of Play’s newest exhibit based on the best-selling children’s book Grossology. Dive into the “impolite” science of the human body through sophisticated animatronics and imaginative interactives, showing you the good, the bad, and the ugly about runny noses, body odor, and much more.
Table Talk: A Global Gathering at the Corning Museum of Glass
Credit: @krmusician on Instagram
Across centuries and continents, glass has been a silent staple during mealtime gatherings. At the Corning Museum of Glass’ Table Talk exhibit, explore the history of dining and gaming through the rich artistry and timeless role of glass in bringing people together. Curated by the museum’s Junior Curators, admire a wide variety of glass used in special social occasions from ancient Mediterranean game pieces to an Art Nouveau flower holder.
Gnome Roam at the Cumming Nature Center
Get outdoors and get ready to roam for gnomes at the Cumming Nature Center! Discover winter magic in the forest along the Gnome Roam, a 0.75 mile trail full of gnome signs and sightings. Stop for a map at the front desk and jump into the world of gnomes.
Desire and Abundance: American Culture and the Still Life at the Memorial Art Gallery
Learn about American culture and values through the lens of objects for the nation’s 250th Commemoration at the Memorial Art Gallery’s newest exhibit Desire and Abundance. Featuring a selection of American still lifes spanning from the 1800s to the present, this genre of art captures the items of everyday life revealing the shifting tastes in American culture, commerce, and art throughout history.
The Ceramic Nationals at the Everson Museum of Art
Credit: @daytrippingroc on Instagram
Experience the birth of the Studio Ceramics Movement at the Everson Museum of Art. The Ceramic Nationals, born from a modest juried exhibition of studio ceramics by New York State artists, now has more than 200 purchase prizes in the Everson collection dating back to the Great Depression through the early 1970s. View the collection in person, showcasing the history and glory of the Ceramic Nationals.
Color Me Calico: A Taste for Prints & Parties at the Genesee Country Village and Museum
Take a vibrant journey through the history of printed cotton textiles in 19th-century America at the Genesee Country Village and Museum’s latest fashion exhibit! Known as America’s first everyday textile, cotton calico became a staple of American life in the 19th century and continues to flourish in clothing Americans today. The exhibit will display cotton calico garments, 19th-century imagery, and calico-related objects used by everyday Americans.
Hudson Valley
Beyond the Frame: Highlights from the HRM Archives at the Hudson River Museum
For more than a century, the Hudson River Museum has been a cornerstone of the Yonkers community, offering a welcoming space to learn about American art, science, and history from the nineteenth century to the present. Beyond the Frame showcases never-before-exhibited images and artifacts that tell a more expansive story of the history of Yonkers. Stop by to take a look at rare photographs of historic Glenview, check out documentation of notable Yonkers residents, and much more.
Yochi Ohira: Japan in Murano at Magazzino Italian Art
Dive into the work of renowned Japanese artist Yoichi Ohira, who became a leading figure in designing Venetian glassworks on the island of Murano, Italy, at the Magazzino in Cold Spring. Take a journey through the artist’s flourishing career, highlighted through different aesthetic resonances, chromatic contrasts, and formal affinities.
Capital-Saratoga
The Hudson River School at the Albany Institute of History & Art
Credit: @discoveralbany and @albanyinstitute on Instagram
Did you know that the Albany Institute houses one of the largest collections of 19th-century American landscape paintings, known as the Hudson River School paintings. Explore artists like Thomas Cole, Frederic Church, Jasper Cropsey, Asher Durand, and Sarah Cole who all beautifully capture America’s scenic grandeur from rugged coastal vistas to powerful mountains and rivers. Stroll through the Albany Institute’s impressive 83 painting collection at the ongoing Hudson River School: Landscape Paintings exhibit which can be found in the Christine and George R. Hearst III Gallery on the museum’s third floor.
Barbie™: A Cultural Icon Exhibition at the New York State Museum
Step back into your childhood and celebrate six decades of Barbie at the New York State Museum! The Barbie™: A Cultural Icon Exhibition explores Barbie as a reflection of culture, showcasing over 300 artifacts including the very first 1959 doll, an original Barbie Dreamhouse, behind-the-scenes prototypes, and some of the most famous Barbie dolls.
New York City
Wifredo Lam: When I Don’t Sleep, I Dream at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Now through April 11, visit the MoMA to explore the life and legacy of Cuban artist, Wilfredo Lam at When I Don’t Sleep, I Dream. The first retrospective in the country to feature the full trajectory of the artist’s vision, admire Lam’s paintings, which expanded modernism and helped create a meaningful space for Black diasporic culture.
Apex Stegosaurus Fossil at the American Museum of Natural History
CREDIT: @JULIALEEMUZI ON INSTAGRAM
Marvel at the largest and one of the most complete Stegosaurus fossils ever uncovered at the American Museum of Natural History! This 150-million-year old fossil, discovered just outside of Dinosaur, Colorado in 2022, measuring 11.5 feet tall and 27 feet long, and featuring more than 254 of its approximately 320 bone elements. See this prehistoric wonder at the museum’s Kenneth C. Griffin Exploration Atrium in the Gilder Center.
Chautauqua-Allegheny
All the Medicines at the Seneca-Iroquois National Museum
CREDIT: @DAMARISSTGO ON INSTAGRAM
The Seneca-Iroquois National Museum is home to an impressive presentation of Seneca Nation history. At the All the Medicines exhibit, discover how medicine can come in many forms such as Dewa’ë:ö, now known as Lacrosse which was once used as a medicine game to help lift the spirits and minds of Seneca elders. Be sure to take a walk through the authentic Seneca log cabin that was preserved and assembled in the museum as well as other exciting installations.
Knowing Where to Stand at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute
Credit: @megan.arnone.eckwahl on Instagram
25 years ago, Roger Tory Peterson invited 100 of the nation’s most accomplished nature photographers to visit the Roger Tory Peterson Institute to discuss the future of nature photography. The result of the gathering was the formation of the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA). This winter, you can explore the first exhibition showcasing NANPA’s Environmental Impact Award-winners, honoring photography projects that bring awareness to environmental issues.
Central New York
The Souls of the Game: Voices of Black Baseball at the National Baseball Hall of Fame
At the National Baseball Hall of Fame, The Souls of the Game: Voices of Black Baseball exhibit honors the history of Black baseball and celebrates its impact on the game and on our country. Explore the decades-long history of Black baseball through quotes and artifacts from players like Mookie Betts, Hank Aaron, Jackie Robinson, and more, revealing the deep connections between baseball and Black America.
Orazio Salati: Undercovering the Surface at The Roberson Museum
For more than 50 years, Orazio Salati’s abstract oil paintings have been capturing the beauty of nature, landscapes, and the human form. For the first time ever, you can admire a timeline of his work in Uncovering the Surface at the Roberson Museum in Binghamton. This retrospective exhibition maps out seven distinct periods in his artistic career over multiple decades.
Farm to Market at The Northeast Classic Car Museum
Photo courtesy of Northeast Classic Car Museum
Start your engines and get ready to learn about farming history through the iconic vehicles that played a major role on farms throughout America at the Northeast Classic Car Museum in Norwich. Walk through a collection of trucks and tractors like John Deere, 1930 Ford Model A, Minneapolis Moline, 1949 Diamond T, Allis Chalmers, and more.
Adirondacks
French Prints from the Tobin Sparling Collection from The Hyde Collection
Climate Solutions at the Wild Center
At Climate Solutions, journey through an interactive, in-depth exhibit that explores the people, technology, and social movements tackling climate change in the Adirondacks and beyond. The exhibit features four different galleries where you can listen to the encouraging stories of people from across different backgrounds, generations, and sectors who are building a web of climate solutions in their lives and communities.
Thousand Islands-Seaway
Presidential Signatures at the Jefferson County Historical Society
Housed in Watertown’s 1870s Paddock Mansion, the Jefferson County Historical Society has been preserving and interpreting the history of Jefferson County since 1886! Pay visit to this museum’s latest exhibit Presidential Signatures, showcasing the historical society’s collection of original documents featuring signatures from George Washington to George Bush.
Catskills
Mind Upon Nature at The Thomas Cole Historic Site
Credit: @thedailyantiquarian on Instagram
Step back in time and explore the historic home of renowned Hudson River School painter Thomas Cole. At the Mind Upon Nature exhibit, you’ll get an intimate look at Cole's creative process and the inspiration he drew from the surrounding Catskill Mountains landscape. The exhibit also includes paintings such as Landscape with Clouds, 1824-1825, and Hunters in a Landscape, 1844-1848.
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