Press Releases

ALBANY, NY—It’s not often that you see a video game and a chamber pot together in an exhibition. It’s even more unusual when both are highlighted as historic artifacts. But the Capital Region of New York has such a varied history that this pairing, along with forty-eight other items, will come together at the Albany Institute of History & Art to tell their stories in The Capital Region in 50 Objects. This collaborative exhibition was developed in partnership with area historic organizations and public input. The Capital Region in 50 Objects will open at the Albany Institute on September 19, 2015 and will run through April 3, 2016.

ALBANY, NY—The Albany Institute of History & Art is pleased to host the annual Clark Art Institute Lecture on Thursday, July 16, 2015 at 6PM. This program is a popular and long-standing summer tradition at the museum. It is free and open to the public as part of the Albany Institute’s free evening hours, which are held each Thursday from 5-8PM. Traditionally, this lecture has been very popular, so attendees are encouraged to arrive early to secure a seat.

ALBANY, NEW YORK— The Albany Institute of History & Art is pleased to host historian Dr. Bruce W. Dearstyne for a lecture and book signing on Sunday, June 7 at 2PM for his recently published book The Spirit of New York: Defining Events in the Empire State’s History. This lecture is open to the public and is free with museum admission. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

ALBANY, NY— The Albany Institute of History & Art is proud to participate in Blue Star Museums, a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums across America to offer free admission to the nation’s active duty military personnel including National Guard and Reserve and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2015. Leadership support has been provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families. The program also provides families an opportunity to enjoy the nation’s cultural heritage and learn more about their new communities after a military move. The complete list of participating museums is available at arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

ALBANY, NY— The Albany Institute of History & Art has again achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition for a museum. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public. The Albany Institute has been accredited since 1980. All museums must undergo a reaccreditation review every ten years to maintain accredited status.

ALBANY, NY— Artist Walter Launt Palmer (1854–1932), the son of Albany sculptor Erastus Dow Palmer, has enjoyed a revival of interest in the art world over the last several years. It’s now common to see his paintings in art magazines and at major auctions across the country, bringing record prices for his oils and watercolors. As an artist who preferred living and working in his home community of Albany, rather than New York City, Palmer carried forward the creative genius that emerged in the region generations earlier with the Hudson River School and his father’s own sculpture. The Albany Institute holds one of the largest public collections of work by Walter Launt Palmer, including oil and watercolor paintings, pastels, and drawings, as well as letters and photographs. The exhibition, Walter Launt Palmer: Painting the Moment, presents for the first time in more than a decade the broad range of Palmer’s work, offering a visual overview of his life, travels, and artistic interests.

ALBANY, NY– Opening day comes early to the Capital Region as the Albany Institute of History & Art presents Triple Play! Baseball at the Albany Institute. Triple Play! consists of three exhibitions celebrating the history of baseball and each contains nationally or regionally significant materials, such as photographs, signed bats and balls, stadium seats, trophies, pennants, jerseys, and more. In addition, there is an exciting roster of related events with guest speakers, family activity days, creative contests, and free admission opportunities.

ALBANY, NEW YORK- Recent excavations and research on the grounds of Ten Broeck Mansion in Albany have revealed outbuildings likely used as summer kitchens and/or slave quarters. On Sunday, December 7 at 2PM, the Albany Institute of History & Art will host Matthew J. Kirk, Principal Investigator and Cultural Resource Specialist at Hartgen Archeological Associates, for a special lecture focused on these findings and the insight they provide into slave/master relationships shortly before abolition. They suggest we reconsider our modern concepts of slavery in the north at the end of the eighteenth century. This lecture is part of the museum’s Making it American lecture series and is co-sponsored by Partners for Albany Stories (PASt). This event is open to the public and free with museum admission.

ALBANY, NEW YORK- The Albany Institute of History & Art is excited to host internationally known Egyptologist and author Kara Cooney for a special lecture about Hatshepsut, the longest reigning female pharaoh in Ancient Egypt. Kara Cooney is Associate Professor at the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA. Her new book The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut’s Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt, draws from the latest field research to fill in the gaps of what we know about the famous pharaoh and explore the obstacles that faced women who sought power and prestige in a society that equated authority with masculinity. Cooney will be available to sign copies of the book, which will be available for purchase. This lecture and book signing will take place on Sunday, November 16 at 2PM. It is open to the public and free with museum admission.

ALBANY, NEW YORK- The Albany Institute of History & Art is excited to announce that it will install a special exhibition of Thomas Cole materials to coincide with Dr. Paul Schweizer’s lecture and book signing at the Albany Institute on Sunday, November 2, 2014, at 2PM. Dr. Schweizer is Director Emeritus of the Munson-Williams-Proctor Art Institute’s Museum of Art and will speak about his new book Thomas Cole’s Voyage of Life as part of the Institute’s Making it American lecture series. The Albany Institute owns Cole’s original oil studies for the Voyage of Life series as well as the first concept drawing for his painting, “Youth.” This event is open to the public and free with museum admission.

ALBANY, NY- The 2014 Exhibition by Artists of the Mohawk-Hudson Region is now open at the Albany Institute of History & Art in Albany, New York. It showcases 142 words by 75 artists who live within a 100-mile radius of Albany or Glens Falls.

ALBANY, NY– On Thursday, June 12, the Albany Institute of History & Art will host a local author, Eric Bryant for a lecture about his book, Bogies and Billygoats: A History of the Albany Municipal Golf Course. The lecture will begin at 6PM and is free and open to the public as part of the Albany Institute’s Evening at the Institute initiative, where admission to the museum is free on Thursdays from 5PM-8PM.

ALBANY, NY– On Sunday, June 1, 2014 the Albany Institute of History & Art will host a lecture and book signing with author Will Swift about his book Pat and Dick: The Nixons, An Intimate Portrait of a Marriage (Threshold Editions, 2014). The lecture will begin at 2PM and is free with museum admission. This event is organized by the museum shop. Copies of the book will be available for purchase in the shop.

ALBANY, NY- The Albany Institute of HIstory & Art invites families in the capital region to an upcoming family festival, It's a Wrap! GE Presents: The Mystery of the Albany Mummies Closing Celebration. This day of engaging and exciting activities will take place at the Albany Institute of History & Art on Sunday, May 18, 2014 from Noon-5PM. The museums has planned a purr-fect day of exploration of animals in ancient Egypt. There will be storytelling related to the animals of ancient Egypt, face painting, and hands-on animal-inspired art-making. Join us as we enjoy the last days of this remarkable exhibition!