Utica, N.Y. — Time is running out to experience the once-in-a-generation exhibition, “Canvas to Culture: Thomas Cole’s Voyage of Life Lives On,” at Munson Museum of Art at 310 Genesee St. in Downtown Utica. The exhibition closes Sunday, May 25.
Organized by Munson Museum Director Emeritus Paul Schweizer, “Canvas to Culture” is the first exhibition to trace the lasting cultural impact of Thomas Cole’s iconic painting cycle, “The Voyage of Life” (1839-40). The exhibition brings together more than 50 works–paintings, prints, and popular imagery–from Munson’s own holdings and major collections across the country.
From the moment of their creation, Cole’s four dramatic paintings –”Childhood,” “Youth,” ‘Manhood,” and “Old Age”– captivated audiences with their allegorical journey through life, set against a backdrop of changing seasons and shifting landscapes. After Cole’s death in 1848, these images took on a life of their own.
Artists, publishers, and filmmakers reimagined “The Voyage of Life” in ways that reflected their own values, beliefs, and times. The series became one of the most widely reproduced and reinterpreted sets of paintings in American history–appearing in mechanical reproductions, religious texts, and even the first full-length “talkie” film, “The Jazz Singer” (1927).
“This exhibition is a fascinating blend of imagery that delights the eye and challenges the mind,” said Stephen Harrison, museum director and chief curator. “It’s a rare opportunity to see Cole’s influence unfold across generations.”
To deepen the experience, visitors can also purchase the exhibition catalog by Schweizer in the Museum Shop. Priced at $18.95, the book can also be purchased as a box set with Schweizer’s original volume, “Thomas Cole’s Voyage of Life,” for $32.95. The richly illustrated companion explores how Cole’s vision helped shape, and was reshaped by, American visual culture for more than 80 years.
Admission to the exhibition is free for Munson Members and $5 for the general public. For more information, visit munson.art/canvas-to-culture.
This exhibition is generously sponsored by Mary Ann Gadziala; Christian and Cheryl Heilmann; Elizabeth R. Lemieux, Ph.D.; the Family of F. X. Matt II; Hon. Beverly Tobin (ret), in memory of Edwin J. Tobin; and Linda and Alan Vincent.
The next exhibition at Munson Museum of Art, “Celestial Bodies: Sculpture by Karen LaMonte,” opens June 27 and will be on view through December.
About Munson
Munson is an internationally recognized fine arts organization in Utica, serving diverse audiences through the renowned Munson Museum of Art, live performances and events, community arts classes, and Pratt Munson College of Art and Design, the upstate extension campus of the prestigious Pratt Institute.
