Katonah Museum of Art

The Katonah Museum of Art is a non-collecting institution geared towards visual arts, located in Katonah, New York. The Museum presents changing exhibitions that cross a spectrum of artistic disciplines, cultures, and historical periods. Housed in an elegant building designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes, and accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Katonah Museum of Art originates three to four major exhibitions annually.

With each exhibition, artists, curators, and other specialists present art through programs, lectures, and workshops designed for visitors of all ages. The Pollack Family Learning Center uses a visual and interactive environment that encourages children and their parents to participate in hands-on projects. The Katonah Museum also offers outdoor concerts, evening cocktail parties, international travels, and trips to other museums and private collections. An outdoor Sculpture Garden, shaded by towering pines, displays contemporary works.

From the beginning, the KMA was committed to presenting exceptional art from all cultures and time periods. The founders’ decision to be a non-collecting institution resulted in a dynamic and flexible exhibition program, which remains one of the most distinctive features of the Museum. The KMA offers lectures, films, workshops, concerts and other events for a general audience; and presents innovative and substantive programs for nearly 100 member schools and community organizations. The Museum's outreach programs for the local Latino immigrant population are at the forefront of community-based education programs.

Its exhibitions, events, and educational programs invite everyone to experience and reflect on the impact and transformative power of the visual arts.

Mission Statement
The Katonah Museum of Art promotes the understanding and enjoyment of the visual arts for diverse audiences. The Museum presents exhibitions that explore ideas about art, culture, and society – past and present – through innovative exhibition and education programs.

Exhibits

October 9, 2022 – January 22, 2023
Tenacity & Resilience: The Art of Jerry Pinkney

Honoring the work of Jerry Pinkney (1939-2021), "Tenacity & Resilience: The Art of Jerry Pinkney" features more than eighty illustrations, dummy books, and working drawings from nine children’s books from 1979 to 2020. The works encompass issues of social justice, resilience, and tenacity in the face of adversity. They convey powerful messages related to the history of the Civil Rights Movement in America as well as personal tales of courage and aspiration. The range of works reveals Pinkney’s multifaceted talents as an inspired master watercolorist, draftsman, and storyteller.

The books represented in this show include Minty (1996), a story of Harriet Tubman in her youth, and A Place to Land: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Speech that Inspired a Nation (2019). Works from the following children’s books are also featured: Tonweya and the Eagles and Other Lakota Tales (1979); I Want to Be (1993); John Henry (1994); Goin’ Someplace Special (2001); God Bless the Child (2004); Sweethearts of Rhythm (2009); and The Little Mermaid (2020).

October 9, 2022 – January 22, 2023
A Sense of Community: Celebrating Jerry Pinkney's Legacy

"A Sense of Community: Celebrating Jerry Pinkney’s Legacy" explores Pinkney’s role as a mentor to, and model for, artists and illustrators of color. It includes the work of nine contemporary illustrators—Charnelle Pinkney Barlow, Elbrite Brown, Bryan Collier, Gordon James, Oge Mora, Brian Pinkney, James Ransome, Shadra Strickland, and Eric Velasquez—who are, like Pinkney, dedicated to making children’s literature more inclusive and diverse. The exhibition will be co-curated by James Ransome, who was Pinkney’s close friend and mentee, and is himself a well-regarded artist and illustrator.

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