Canton's Museum of American Bird Art has sent part of its celebrated collection north for a special exhibition at The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls, New York, even as its own gallery on Washington Street stays closed for the time being.
A rare chance to see the collection, just not at home.
"Wings and Wilderness: Birds and Landscapes of the Northeast" runs through Oct. 11 at The Hyde Collection's historic complex in Glens Falls, open Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mass Audubon, which operates MABA in Canton, confirmed the collaboration, with the show featuring both classic and contemporary bird and landscape works, including pieces by Winslow Homer, Georgia O'Keeffe, Frank W. Benson, and Indigenous artists.
Why this collection is worth the trip in the first place.
MABA's holdings span four centuries and thousands of works, from John James Audubon engravings to Pop Art silkscreens donated by Andy Warhol to hand-carved decoys by master craftsman Anthony Elmer Crowell. Former director Amy T. Montague once described the institution as the "only one in the world focused on American art inspired by birds" — a distinction that makes this traveling show a genuinely rare opportunity, even if it means a longer drive than usual.
Why the Canton gallery is closed right now.
Mass Audubon has converted the Washington Street gallery building into "The Nest," a community makerspace and art studio, while it designs a new permanent home for the collection. The Glens Falls exhibition gives Canton residents a way to see the artwork while that bigger planning process plays out.
Still plenty happening on the Canton campus.
The MABA Education Center continues running programming locally, with a Ceramics Open Studio Series kicking off this Saturday, Aug. 1.
Key dates:
- Aug. 1 — Ceramics Open Studio Series begins, MABA Education Center, 963 Washington St., Canton
- Through Oct. 11 — "Wings and Wilderness," The Hyde Collection, 161 Warren St., Glens Falls, NY
