As They Saw It: Women Artists Then & Now at Fenimore Art Museum
As They Saw It: Women Artists Then & Now (April 1 – September 2, 2024) celebrated the vision, creativity, and achievements of American women artists working across three centuries. Drawn from the collections of the Springfield Museums, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Fenimore Art Museum, and organized by an all-women curatorial team, the exhibition highlighted themes of collaboration, empowerment, and artistic legacy. Sponsored by Art Bridges, the exhibition reflected a shared commitment to presenting diverse perspectives and fostering dialogue on the evolving role of women in the arts.
The exhibition was accompanied by a robust schedule of public programming that deepened engagement. Fenimore launched the Masterful Women video series, featuring interviews with ten regional women artists, from painters and musicians to dancers and Native bead workers, whose stories were shared widely online to reach audiences beyond Cooperstown. A series of art workshops, led by several of these artists, invited participants to explore creative techniques such as beading, needle felting, plein air painting, and flower arranging. An online symposium series, The Fight for Recognition, brought together curators, artists, and historians for thoughtful discussions on the visibility and legacy of women artists in museums today.
Fenimore’s annual Celebrate Native America festival, held August 10th in conjunction with Art by the Lake, centered on the theme, Women’s Vital Role in Native Cultures. Highlights included performances by the Akwesasne Women Singers, a talk by Rebecca Bowen of the Seneca Nation, participatory Haudenosaunee dance demonstrations, and storytelling by Mohawk artist Sinuda Kapalczynski. The program drew more than 500 attendees and was enthusiastically received, underscoring the region’s strong interest in inclusive and culturally grounded programming.
2024 Annual Fundraiser Review
The Annual Fundraiser, Simply the Best, was inspired by the recently acquired American Masterworks artwork. Simply the Best, held on July 12, 2024, benefited both Fenimore Art Museum and Fenimore Farm. The evening was fun and entertaining with Fenimore Art Museum netting $35,072. We appreciate the dedication and hard work of our 2024 Annual Fundraiser Committee: Jane Forbes Clark, Shelley Graham, Cory Moffat, Carrie Thompson and Lucy Townsend.
2024 Gala Sponsors
$5,000
Marc Brown & Laurie Krasny Brown
Mr. Gary Cassinelli & Mr. Nick Preston
Jane Forbes Clark
Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Holbrook
Malesardi Family Foundation
Mr. Tom Morgan & Ms. Erna J. Morgan McReynolds
Nicole’s Catering
James & Stephanie Patrick
Mr. & Mrs. Byron Thomas
$2,000
Ms. Margaret Bouslough Parsons
Dr. Paul S. & Anna T. D’Ambrosio
Mr. & Mrs. Stephen M. Gotwald
Mr. & Mrs. Robert S. Hanft
Mr. James M. Jordan
Dr. And Mrs. Thomas Older
Dr. Jeffrey Pressman & Dr. Nancy Kollisch
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas O. Putnam
Mrs. Francesca Zambello & Mrs. Faith Gay
$750
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Church
Abby Krey Gibson
EDUCATION & PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS
Young at Art! Regional Art Contest
Young at Art! Regional Youth Art Contest continued its remarkable growth in 2024, drawing 387 submissions from students representing 24 schools across Delaware, Otsego, Herkimer, and Oneida counties. The contest continues to foster creativity and community engagement among regional youth. This year 42 outstanding works were selected for the exhibition Young at Art! Imaginations at Play, on view from May 24 through July 21, 2024. A celebratory reception and awards ceremony took place on June 8, featuring a live performance by the Little Delaware Youth Ensemble, a keynote address by artist Ashley Cooper, and a presentation of awards. The event drew 167 students, teachers, and family members to Cooperstown to honor these fantastic emerging artists.
Following the exhibition, a smaller traveling show was developed for program sponsors, extending the reach of the project and highlighting exceptional student talent at the Bank of Cooperstown and NYCM Insurance.
Museum Quest
Museum Quest continues to be one of the museum’s most popular school programs, allowing us to reach a large number of students on a daily basis across both institutions. Workshops and guided tours continue to be a staple for many of our area school districts, and staff continue to work towards enhancing our slate of offerings, providing immersive experiences for regional students that spark creativity and encourage learning outside of the classroom Museum Quest: In the spring, celebrated fashion photographer Marc Hom participated in a Museum Quest school program, where he engaged with visiting students. Marc discussed his creative journey and provided an in-depth look at his 2024 exhibition, offering students a rare opportunity to explore photography through the eyes of a renowned artist. The program allowed young attendees to ask questions, hear the stories behind his work, and gain a deeper understanding of portrait photography as an art form.
Education and Regional History Center
In 2024, significant progress was made on the new Education and Regional History Center, a vibrant hub designed to enhance learning, accessibility, and community engagement. Construction began in 2023, and by late 2024, Phase I of the renovation was completed, including the installation of two ADA-compliant restrooms and the replacement of 64 windows with modern, energy-efficient units. Once complete, the Center will bring together programs that educate, entertain, and inspire thousands of visitors each year. Thousands of schoolchildren participate annually in museum field trips, and this new space will provide a safe and comfortable area for students to gather, learn, and enjoy lunch. The Center will also serve as a community gathering place—offering expanded opportunities for workshops, lectures, and art programs throughout the year.
The project is slated to be completed by the end of 2025 and will include installation of a new climate control system and elevator, as well as upgraded lighting, new fixtures and furnishings, and the addition of a glass partition separating research areas from meeting spaces. These exciting updates support the museum’s commitment to campus-wide ADA accessibility improvements and to creating an inviting, flexible environment for both education and research.
2024 Education and Regional History Center Campaign Donations:
$100,000+
Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust
National Philanthropic Trust – Mary Ellen and Gates Hawn Anniversary Fund
$25,000 – $99,999
Mr. Gary Cassinelli and Mr. Nick Preston
The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region – Stewart’s Foundation
John Ben Snow Memorial Trust
John B. Stetson Living Trust
$15,000 – $24,999
Robert and Esther Black Family Foundation
$10,000 – $14,999
Fenimore Asset Management
Ms. Jacqueline Badger Mars
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Putnam
$5,000 – $9,999
The Honorable and Mrs. M. Langhorne Keith
Mr. Robert Nelson and Mr. Van B. Ramsey
Dr. Jeffrey Pressman and Dr. Nancy Kollisch
Richland County Foundation
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund – Thomas and Christine Berk
$1,000 – $4,999
Louis B. Hager, Jr. and Kathleen Hager
Hughson & Benson Associates
Mr. Charles B. Kieler
Mrs. Joan Leventhal
James and Stephanie Patrick Family Foundation, Inc.
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund – Thomas P. Lord and Alison S. Lord Charitable Fund
Gifts up to $999
Dr. Sidney Blatt and Dr. Susan Blatt
Ms. Sharon Donahe
Dr. Douglas Evelyn and Mrs. Martha Evelyn
Ms. Barbara Gibbs
Ms. Sally W. Goodfellow
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen M. Gotwald
Ms. Cassandra Greenberg
Ms. Ruth E. Hotaling
Ms. Jean W. Jagendorf
Marion S. King
Mr. Leo H. Tyo
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Mahon
Dr. and Mrs. Robert Mansbach
Meelan’s Floors Inc.
Mr. Lester T. Olmsted
Prof. William Ryall
Mrs. Beverly C. Tobin
Dr. Jeanne Westcott
Mr. Richard Wicks
2024 Collections Highlights, Acquisitions, and Deaccessions
Acquisitions
“The Golden Gate”, Albert Bierstadt, c. 1872. Gift of the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust.
“Specimen NO. 21 (Insects)”, Nancy Callahan, 2021. Anonymous gift.
“Madame de Fleury and Her Child”, Mary Cassatt, 1890-1891. Gift of the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust.
Faux bamboo chair and 14 nineteenth-century folk art portraits. Bequest of the Estate of Gordon Fine.
“Summer, Montclair”, George Inness, 1887. Gift of the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust.
“Still Life with Fruit, Vase, and Cup”, Max Weber, 1910. Gift of the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust.
“Betalo, the Dancer”, Robert Henri, 1909-1910. Gift of the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust.
“Cattleya Orchid with Two Brazilian Hummingbirds”, Martin Johnson Heade, 1871. Gift of the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust.
“Afterglow, Green River, Wyoming”, Thomas Moran, 1918. Gift of the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust.
“Mount Hood, Columbia River”, Albert Bierstadt, 1870. Gift of the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust.
“Landscape With Sheep”, George Inness, 1858. Gift of the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust.
“South American Landscape”, Frederic Edwin Church, ca. 1856. Gift of the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust.
“Washington Square—The Green Dress”, William Glackens, ca. 1910. Gift of the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust.
“Building the New York Subway”, Ernest Lawson, ca. 1904-1909. Gift of the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust.
“On the Way to Limetz, Giverny (La Chaussée de Limetz)”, Theodore Earl Butler, ca. 1920. Gift of the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust.
“Seated Boy with Book” (on verso: “Baby Girl Playing”), Thomas Eakins, ca. 1876. Gift of the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust.
“Luxembourg Gardens—Sketch”, Frederick Carl Frieseke, ca. 1901. Gift of the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust.
“Morning”, Samuel Colman, 1859. Gift of the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust.
“Buck Mountain, Lake George”, David Johnson, 1872. Gift of the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust.
“Campanile at Lido”, James McNeill Whistler, 1879. Gift of the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust.
“Well in the Garden”, John Sloan, 1925. Gift of the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust.
Four vintage silver prints of William Merritt Chase, (Frederick) Childe Hassam, George Inness, and Thomas Moran. Museum purchase.
Thanksgiving Hospital nurse’s uniform, photographs, and ephemera. Gift of Jane Forbes Clark.
Portraits of George and Martha Washington on glass, William Matthew Prior, ca. 1850. Museum purchase.
Price list from C. Hart & Son, 1867. Museum Purchase with funds provided by Nancy Ruth Kollisch and Jeff Pressman.
64 photos from the 20th century by Milton Rogovin, Todd Webb, and others. Gift of Michael Gray.
“Dull Weather, Rue de Sèvres”, Robert Henri, ca. 1899. Museum purchase.
Pair of Amish wool quilts. Museum purchase with funds provided by the Rumford Folk Art Acquisition Fund.
“The Cliffs at Etretat, Normandy, France”, Samuel Colman, 1875. Museum purchase.
“Old Tree on the Way to Tel el Amarna”, Elihu Vedder, ca. 1889-1890. Museum purchase.
“Charwoman”, Francis David Millet, 1873. Museum purchase.
Frakturs memorializing the births of Catharina Horbelt and Johann Georg Schmidt, 19th century. Gift of May L. Zitzmann.
Four cameras and a flash bar from the mid-20th century. Gift of Severino Carbone.
Deaccessions
Any Documentary Collection object considered for deaccession must meet at least one of the following criteria set forth by the New York State Board of Regents Rule 3.276:
The object is inconsistent with the mission of the responsible institution as set forth in that institution’s mission statement and scope of collections.
The object has failed to retain its identity.
The object is redundant.
The item’s conservation or preservation needs are beyond the responsible institution’s capacity to provide.
The object is deaccessioned to accomplish refinement of collections.
It has been established that the item is inauthentic.
The responsible institution is repatriating the object or returning it to its original owner.
The responsible institution is returning the object to its donor or the donor’s heirs or assigns to fulfill donor restrictions relating to the item which the institution is no longer able to meet.
The object presents a hazard to other people or collection objects.
The item has been lost or stolen and has not been recovered.
Six prints of “Old Fort Niagara”, 1933. Gift of Arthur Pound.
Ojibwe bandolier bag and Tlingit basket. Anonymous gift.
Four beaded works, Haudenosaunee. Gift of Grace Fernalld.
76 beaded works, Haudenosaunee. Gift of Seth Burchard.
Neoclassical corner cupboard. Museum purchase.
Four items of Redford Glass. Bequest of the Estate of Warner McLaughlin.
Portrait of Unknown Woman, ca. 1817. Gift of Stephen C. Clark, Sr.
Federal sideboard. Museum purchase.
Water pump. Museum purchase.
Industrial nature cabinet, early 20th century. Gift of Cooperstown Central Schools.
Trundle bed, 1835-1845. Gift of John D. Windecker.
Wheelchair. Gift of Charles Campbell.
Slat-back chair. Gift of Charles D. Falkner.
Pair of window seats, ca. 1850. Gift of Mrs. Lewis Rathbone Parker.
Chest. Gift of Mrs. Mervin S. Giles.
Chair, 1820-1825. Gift of Grace Glenwood Higginson.
Stenciled chair crest. Gift of Ada Yates Harris.
Wash bench. Gift of Mrs. Edwin Smith.
Folding table, patented 1842. Gift of Mrs. Benjamin Steber.
Piano and stool, Pease Piano Co., ca. 1850. Gift of Grace Roberts.
“Haying”, 1882. Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Elbridge Smith.
“Amsterdam & Port Jackson, NY”, 1881. Gift of Clifford G. Fisher.
“Custer’s Last Fight”, 1896. Gift of the Cooperstown Indian Museum.
“New York City”, 1855. Gift of Mrs. Bruce Bielaski.
“View of the Fair Ground of the New York State Agricultural Society”, 1863. Gift of Stephen C. Clark, Sr.
“Military Record of Ed Doyne”, ca. 1891. Gift of Mrs. Maude Doyne.
“Castle Scene”. Gift of Ruby Rounds.
Wall hanging with taxidermied hummingbirds. Gift of Doris Bliss.
“Journeyman Tinsmith”, John Niro, 1971. Gift of John Niro.
Shadowbox. Gift of Atwood Manley.
“Two Boys in a Homemade Boat”. Gift of Agnes Halsey Jones.
Mirror, ca. 1800-1850. Bequest of the Estate of William Festus Morgan.
Portraits of Lucretia Steward Brownson and Simeon Brownson, ca. 1835. Gift of Mrs. Florence Brownson Hays.
Broken pull toy, 19th century. Gift of W. Bard Johnstone.
Windsor chair, 19th century. Previously unaccessioned.
“Steam Ferry Boat Jersey City”, G. and W. Endicott. Previously unaccessioned.
“Cooperstown, N.Y.”, Lewis and Goodwin, ca. 1862. Previously unaccessioned.
“Jonathan Wainwright, D. D.”, John C. and McRae after Thomas Hicks, 1854. Previously unaccessioned.
“Raby Pack”, W. Ward after H. B. Chalon, 1814. Previously unaccessioned.
“George Washington”, Illman Bros. Previously unaccessioned.
“View of Prattsville”, C. Parsons, 1849-1851. Previously unaccessioned.
“Rural Scene with House”, ca. 1860. Previously unaccessioned.
- P. Coats’ Mill advertisement, 19th century. Previously unaccessioned.
“Aurora, New York, from the North Poplars”, Richard H. Pease, 1848. Previously unaccessioned.
“Abbott Lawrence”, Francis Holl after Chester Harding, ca. 1850. Previously unaccessioned.
“Monitor and Merrimack”, F. F. Palmer for Currier & Ives, 1862. Previously unaccessioned.
Folding bed or settee, Alfred Harris of Cayuga County, 19th century. Gift of Mrs. S. Elizabeth Hawley.