Things To Do: Farnsworth Art Museum

Among the many gems to be found in downtown Rockland, the Farnsworth Art Museum sparkles as one of the brightest. The museum specializes in Maine’s contributions to American art, featuring a nationally recognized collection.

Described as “one of the most important small museums in the country by Fodor’s, the Farnsworth draws art appreciators from far and wide, particularly fans of the Wyeth family. Its Wyeth Center is devoted to the works of illustrator N.C. Wyeth; his son, Andrew, one of the country’s best-known painters; and Andrew’s son, James, also a painter and resident of nearby Monhegan Island. The museum additionally boasts one of the largest collections of sculptures by 20th-century artist Louise Nevelson, as well as works by Gilbert Stuart, Thomas Sully, Fitz Henry Lane, Frank Benson and Edward Hopper, among others.

Be sure to stop by the Farnsworth’s two historic properties, as well. The Farnsworth Homestead, a Greek Revival home that dates back to the 1850s, features Victorian furnishings and virtually no changes to the original structure. A few miles away in the town of Cushing, the museum also operates the Olson House, the subject of many works by Andrew Wyeth. Many will recognize it as the classic saltwater farmhouse depicted in Wyeth’s famous 1948 painting “Christina’s World,” which is owned by the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

The Farnsworth Art Museum is open year-round, while the Wyeth Center, Olson House and Farnsworth Homestead close for the winter season.