Recently, I took a close friend of mine to the Rockwell Museum in Corning, New York. I've lived here in Corning for my whole life - I've been to the Rockwell numerous times and to all the other galleries and exhibits and museums in the area just as much. Through my college courses on History and Art, however, I've grown to appreciate and understand museums more than I did as a child. Especially in cases like the Rockwell Museum, now that I am older, I see the paintings and relics and sculptures as not just objects - but as pieces of history.
For quick reference, the Rockwell Museum was founded in 1974 by Bob and Hertha Rockwell with the help of what is now Corning Incorporated. Bob and Hertha had such a passion and had collected so many pieces of American art and history that they knew they needed to display it for others to see and study. The collection focuses primarily on the American West before it was settled, so I saw lots of all-natural landscapes and candid images of Native American life.
I may be speaking for myself here, but my sense of "American history" tends to start at the time Columbus sailed in 1492. But there was so much that happened on this side of the world prior to the European settlement. And especially because I live on the east coast, the history on the other side of the States tends to be glossed over relatively quickly in my history lessons. All of those influences means that my knowledge of life for the Native Americans in the west is very minimal.
That's where the Rockwell Museum comes into play. Nestled into the city is this museum. It shares some strikingly amazing pieces of history and art, the great majority of which depict the lives and traditions of the Native Americans. This museum brings to life an incredible part of American history that could be so easily forgotten about. Seeing the paintings of these men, women, and children made me feel like I was able to connect to a people that are so far apart from us in time and location.
I may not be a history major, but I feel like my experience in this museum really connected with me. That's the thing about these galleries and museums: Not only is there so much to "ooh" and "ahh" over, there is so much we can learn from these exhibits. So, maybe go give your local museum a visit - you never know what you might discover.
