Name: Erie Canal Museum
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April 15 - August 15, 2021:Chittenango and the Erie Canal

This series of historical paintings by artist Bob Reed depict each of the Canal's three eras, plus scenes showing how other aspects of Bob's hometown of Chittenango developed during the Canal's heyday.

March 1 - 31, 2021:Hidden Perspectives: Women's Lives on the Erie Canal

Last on display in the Weighlock Gallery in 2017, this slightly abbreviated version of Hidden Perspectives, shares the story of women whose lives were impacted by the Erie Canal, whether they worked on it, traveled on it, or had their political awakenings as a result of it. This exhibit will be based upon the vast collection of images owned by the Museum as well as Canal writings.

Support for this exhibit was made possible by generous donations from Building Energy Solutions of Syracuse and the law firm of Bond, Schoeneck & King.

September 15, 2020 - February 28, 2021:Erie Canal Odyssey by Frank Forte

Photographer Frank Forte shares 10 multi-image panels that depict communities, structures, boats, people, and activities along the canals of New York State, from Waterford to Seneca Falls. The exhibit depicts the first part of his self-commissioned mission to visit and photograph New York's entire canal system.
Frank Forte is a commercial photographer from Utica, New York. His work covers a wide variety of subjects including landscapes, historic places, landmarks, and special events. His picture of the tugboat Erie won first place in the Classic Canals category of the 2019 Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor photo contest.

July 31 - September 5. 2020:21st Century Kids on the Canal

Canal boatman Bob Graham is back again with another exhibit of Erie Canal photos! This time, he focuses his camera on young people he’s met while traveling on New York’s canals.

January 15 - March 17, 2020:It's Know Art by Ellen Agnew

Syracuse-based artist Ellen Agnew grew up in Kennebunkport, ME, where she grew up collecting shells and stones. After moving to central New York, Ellen returned to Maine frequently for vacations and began collecting rope knots that washed up on shore. She uses these bits of found materials to create It’s Knot Art, a showcase of unique abstract fiber art.

September 21, 2019 - January 15, 2020:A Detailed Look: Schoharie Crossing

Jenny Kielbasa-Galough is a substitute teacher, child and youth advocate, and a native of Amsterdam, NY. She volunteers at the Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site in Fort Hunter. Jenny strives to capture a realistic and natural look in her photos. Her work is featured on the Mohawk Valley Through the Lens Facebook page (previous exhibitors Cliff and Gabe Oram are also part of this group!). This fall, Jenny brings us images of Schoharie Crossing’s structures, in all four seasons. Don’t miss this look at one of the Erie Canal’s most notable sites! At Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site, you can see all three phases of New York’s Canals in one place.

April 10 - September 15, 2019:Engineering Beauty: Black & White Views of New York Waters

Consulting historian and documentation photographer Bruce G. Harvey uses a large-format camera to capture the beauty of New York’s waterways.

January 15-April 1, 2019:Eugenijs Kaskin’s Oswego Canal Watercolors

Mr. Kaskin was born in Latvia in 1912 and gave up a career as a gymnastics teacher after being injured in an air raid in 1944. He became interested in art while recovering in the hospital and immigrated to the United States in 1951. Mr. Kaskin became a well-known artist in Oswego County. These paintings are graciously loaned to us from the H. Lee White Maritime Museum in Oswego.

September 14 - December 31, 2018:The Mohawk Valley through the Lens

Featuring beautiful photographs by Cliff and Gabe Oram

June 1 - September 5, 2018:In the Footsteps of John Muir

Developed by the American-Scottish Foundation, the exhibit showcases the work of Scottish photographer Ken Paterson, and features images of natural wonders, Scottish canals and Scotland’s John Muir Way.

January 16 - May 22, 2018:Photographs of Spencerport by Joe Pompili

Photographer Joe Pompili strives to capture the vibrancy of the world around us. This exhibit of photographs showcases the Erie Canal village of Spencerport in Monroe County near Rochester, New York.

September 2017 - January 2018:Erie Canal at Buffalo

Landscape drawings of Buffalo in Canal days by artist Dana Hatchett, accompanied by Buffalo and Erie Canal history.

December 19, 2016 – May 9, 2017:Whipple Bridge Diagrams

Whipple Bridge Diagrams

June 16 – August 30, 2016:15 Miles on Today’s Erie Canal

Photographs by Willson Cummer

March 10 – May 30, 2016:Speaking in Light

Photographs by Terry McMaster

Weighlock Gallery

November 20, 2020 - January 10, 2021:35th Annual Gingerbread Gallery

The Gingerbread Gallery transforms our second-floor gallery into a festive 19th century Canal-town street scene with dozens of gingerbread creations on display in storefront windows. Works are submitted by amateur and professional bakers and are judged by a panel of civic leaders.

July 30 - October 17, 2020:Syracuse & the Erie Canal: 200 Years

The first packet boat to travel the Erie Canal in Syracuse, New York arrived in the community 200 years ago this year. Regular transportation of people, goods and ideas to and from the area started three days later, ushering in a mode of travel that helped Syracuse grow from a tiny crossroads to one of New York State's biggest cities. "Syracuse & the Erie Canal: 200 Years" commemorates the Erie Canal's history in the community, and its profound impact on all aspects of the city. The exhibit includes information panels, images, and historic Syracuse and Canal artifacts from the Museum's collections.

February 3 – March 17, 2020:The Story of Water: The Erie Canal as a Site of Untold Stories

This exhibit by Linda Zhang, Assistant Professor of Architecture at Ryerson University, and Biko Gray, Assistant Professor of Religion at Syracuse University, features clay vessels based on 3-D drone scans of Erie Canal structures, transformed by the introduction of Canal water before the firing process. The resulting clay models symbolize the many ways that the Erie Canal changed the lives of those who built it, used it, and lived near it.

November 19, 2021 - January 6, 2020:34th Annual Gingerbread Gallery

August 31- October 31, 2019:Barge and In Charge: Erie Canal Boats

This exhibit explores the many different types of boats used on New York State’s canal system, both historically and today. Many model canal boats from the Museum’s collection are featured.

June 29 - August 22, 2019:Smithsonian Institute Water/Ways

A Smithsonian Institution Museum on Main Street traveling exhibit that examines all aspects of water environmentally, culturally, and historically.

January 25 - June 15, 2019:Hybrid Vigor: The History & Science of Mules

Images, original artifacts, and historical and scientific information explain mules, the animals that pulled most of the barges on New York’s canals.

November 19, 2018 - January 6, 2019:33rd Annual Gingerbread Gallery

Join us for one of Syracuse's oldest holiday traditions! Each year the Weighlock Gallery of the Erie Canal Museum transforms into a festive 1800's street scene with over 30 gingerbread creations on display in storefront windows. These sweet creations are made locally by professional and amateur bakers.

May 2018-September 3, 2018:From Clyde to Buffalo

Canal boatman and historian Bob Graham exhibits a collection of photographs showing the construction of the Barge Canal's Western Division.

January-May 5, 2018:Wish You Were Here: Erie Canal Postcards

In the first part of the 20th century, postcards were all the rage in America. The Erie Canal Museum is home to many of these small pieces of history. In this exhibit, we're showcasing postcards that show beautiful images of New York Canal sites, as well as those that tell fascinating stories and impressions of the Canal.

November 2017 - January 2018:32nd Annual Gingerbread Gallery

September 2017 - November 2017:Hidden Perspectives: Women's Lives on the Erie Canal

The story of women whose lives were impacted by the Erie Canal, whether they worked on it, traveled on it, or had their political awakenings as a result of it. This exhibit will be based upon the vast collection of images owned by the Museum as well as Canal writings.