Masterwork Reimagined: Experience the New American Masterworks Gallery at Fenimore Art Museum

Cooperstown, NY: Fenimore Art Museum is proud to announce the opening of its new American Masterworks Gallery, a reimagined, state-of-the-art exhibition space designed to showcase the museum’s collections, including the recently acquired American Masterworks Collection, opening to the public on Saturday, September 26th.

In 2023 and 2024, a landmark gift from the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust enhanced Fenimore Art Museum’s permanent collection. With a generous $33.8 million donation, the museum acquired 27 exceptional works, significantly deepening and broadening its holdings of American art. This remarkable group features artists whose contributions define the trajectory of American painting, including Albert Bierstadt, Mary Cassatt, William Merritt Chase, Frederic Edwin Church, Childe Hassam, Martin Johnson Heade, Robert Henri, George Inness, Eastman Johnson, Thomas Moran, Georgia O’Keeffe, John Singer Sargent, Max Weber, and James McNeill Whistler, among others.

The American Masterworks Gallery

The American Masterworks Gallery will unite the museum’s distinguished holdings of American art, including works generously donated by Stephen C. Clark during his lifetime and following his death in 1960, with the newly acquired Masterworks Collection. Together, these collections will offer visitors a richer, more cohesive narrative of American artistic achievement.

Paul D’Ambrosio, Fenimore Art Museum’s President and CEO, has led the project and shaped the vision of the American Masterworks Gallery. He says, “For the first time we will have a gallery that shows the broad story of American art from 1800-1930, mixing fine art, folk art, and Native American art. It will be a way for visitors to see who we are as a museum and these collections that are unique to us.”  This labor of love is a culmination of Dr. D’Ambrosio’s career, as his retirement (previously announced in November 2025) will officially take place on September 27th. As President Emeritus, he will have continued involvement with Fenimore Art Museum and the American Masterworks Gallery.

This new gallery is a major renovation of the museum’s former Main Gallery, which most recently housed a portion of the museum’s folk art collection. The project has included essential infrastructure improvements, like replacing the HVAC chiller system that ensures stable climate control, an essential component in preserving works of art. The new gallery also has vapor-barrier interior walls, energy-efficient windows, updated lighting, new flooring, and enhanced security and safety systems.

What to expect

Visitors will encounter not only extraordinary works of art, but also a thoughtfully designed environment that enhances their experience and deepens their understanding. This project ensures that the museum’s American art collection – now stronger than ever – will continue to inspire generations to come.

The American Masterworks Gallery is supported by generous donations from The Clark Foundation, Jacqueline Badger Mars, Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust, Fernleigh Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas O. Putnam, Robert and Esther Black Family Foundation, Van Broughton Ramsey and Robert Nelson, Richland County Foundation – Black Family Fund, among others.

The American Masterworks Gallery will open to the public on Saturday, September 26th. Fenimore Art Museum is open through December 31st, Tuesday through Sunday from 10am – 4pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at: www.fenimoreart.org or at the door.