Welcome to the ALBANY INSTITUTE OF HISTORY & ART The mission of the Albany Institute is to collect, preserve, interpret, and promote interest in the history, art, and culture of Albany and the Upper Hudson Valley from the 17th century to the present day. Founded in 1791, the Albany Institute of History & Art has been collecting for over 200 years. Its collections document the Hudson Valley as a crossroads of cultures, influencing the art and history of the region, the state, and the nation. With more than 35,000 objects and one million documents in the library it is an important resource for the region, giving our community a sense of the part the Hudson Valley played in the American story, and their own place in history.
Small + Seductive: Contemporary Art from the Albany Institute’s Collection. Spring 2014.
Permanent and temporary exhibitions are open year round and create a sense of place, allowing visitors to meet the people who helped shape this region. 25,000 people visit the Institute every year, enjoying the collections, workshops, school programs, and lectures, helping to build an understanding of the history and culture of our region. Among the museum’s best-known and most loved collections are the 19th century Hudson River School landscape paintings by artists like Thomas Cole and Frederic Edwin Church, the 19 th century sculpture collections, and, of course, the famous Albany Mummies that came over from the Cairo Museum in 1909 and have been on view ever since. Unconsciousness, by Launt Thompson (1833-1894), marble, c. 1881, gift of Latham G. Reed, 1940.8
JOIN THE ALBANY INSTITUTE The Albany Institute welcomes visitors and volunteers of all kinds! Consider stopping by, becoming a museum member, or joining one of our volunteer committees. Please feel free to call us at (518) 463-4478 or email us to learn more. Barbara Collins General volunteering and museum docents ext 405, collinsb@albanyinstitute.org Nicole Peterson Corporate advisory committee ext 414, petersonn@albanyinstitute.org Aine Leader-Nagy Marketing and PR committee ext 408, leader.nagya@albanyinstitute.org Elizabeth Bechand Museum Shop ext 455, museumshop@albanyinstitute.org Elizabeth Reiss Special events committee ext 402, reisse@albanyinstitute.org
Ariantje Coeymans (Mrs. David) Verplank (1672-1743), attributed to Nehemiah Partridge (1683about 1737), oil on canvas, 1718 or 1722-1724, bequest of Miss Gertrude Watson, 1938.5 Believed to be the first life-size, full length likeness of a woman in colonial America.
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