Bartlett Arkell, the first president of the Beech-Nut Packing Company founded the Canajoharie Library for the people of the village of Canajoharie. When it opened, gracing its walls were a dozen paintings from Arkell’s personal collection, including works by Gilbert Stuart and Robert Henri. The paintings were so well received that in 1927, Arkell broke ground on our original museum building, and we became the Canajoharie Library and Art Gallery. Today, we are known as the Arkell Museum, and we are proud to continue the tradition of sharing art with the Canajoharie community and beyond.

The American painting collection includes seven oil paintings by Winslow Homer and significant paintings by many distinguished artists including; Thomas Benton, William M. Chase, Childe Hassam, John Singer Sargent, Albert Bierstadt, and Gilbert Stuart. Permanent and changing exhibitions also feature selections from the museum’s Mohawk Valley History collection as well as the Beech-Nut collection of early twentieth-century advertising material.

A major addition to the Arkell Museum and Canajoharie Library was completed in 2007 through the generosity of the Arkell Hall Foundation. The Foundation remains an important partner in our shared mission of providing educational and cultural opportunities in our community.

Exhibitions are supported in part by

C.J. Heilig Foundation

Fenimore Asset Management & FAM Funds

New York State Council on the Arts
with the support of the Office of the Governor.
and the New York State Legislature.