The former home of the 1893 Corning City Hall, the Romanesque-Revival style building has a stone and brick facade. Recently the museum underwent an extensive renovation in which the outdated building was transformed, and on May 18, 2001, the new Rockwell Museum of Western Art reopened their doors to the public by celebrating the museum's 25th anniversary.
"We have the best western art collection on the eastern seaboard," said Stuart A. Chase, executive director. "The renovation has put our art collection in a very good home, showcases us beautifully, and gives us the best possible opportunity to allow this museum to shine."
And shine it does. The collection contains masterworks by the great 19th and early 20th century painters and sculptors, including Remington, Russell, Bierstadt, Couse, Dallin, Moran, Catlin, Miller, and many more. Recently, the museum has focused on adding to their collection many fine pieces of Native American and other emerging western artists.
The museum's art collection is organized to reflect three major themes: people, places, and ideas to the West in a desire to engage visitors in thought and conversation about what they are seeing in the galleries.
Frequent museum visitors can tell you there is always a museum shop in every museum. For a new twist on an old theme, come in and enjoy a true west styled Trading Post, filled with western and native art.
The second floor is given over to the Remington and Russell Lodge, designed like a ranch great room, with a welcoming stone fireplace, comfortable western furniture, and, of course, works by both Remington and Russell.
"The Remington and Russell Lodge feels like you are in a great western lodge in the east," said Chase. "We call it museum living with all the wood, the fireplace, antler chandeliers, and custom furniture made in Cody, Wyoming."
"Some of the extraordinary details throughout the museum is the mahogany trim in the Arts and Crafts tradition," said Chase. "We wanted to create this engaging setting to learn about the art of the west."
In the main galleries enjoy the antique toy collection, including dolls, doll furniture, cast iron toys, wheeled toys, toy and model trains, and a Schoenhut circus.
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