SUNY Oswego’s Tyler Art Gallery will present an exhibition titled “Grant Arnold and the Golden Era of Woodstock Lithography – 1930-1940,” running from March 1 to 30 and including a pair of special events.

Bruce Weber, a curator and independent art historian, made this exhibition possible. Exhibited in the fall at the Woodstock School of Art, the exhibition features prints from the SUNY Oswego Grant Arnold Collection. The Grant Arnold Collection of Fine Prints contains over 500 prints by prominent American printmakers of the first half of the 20th century.

The exhibition and related events are free and open to the public, with this exhibition receiving support from the Woodstock School of Art and ARTSwego.

On Saturday, March 2, Weber will offer a walking tour of the exhibition and gallery talk from 1 to 2 p.m., followed by a coffee and tea reception from 2 to 3 p.m.

In addition, “Remembering Grant Arnold,” from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 23, will feature an afternoon of telling tales, remembering the past and learning about the influence of the master printer on several generations of printmakers. This is an invitation to all those printmakers and print lovers in the region who knew or were influenced by Arnold's work as a printer and printmaker – or for those who love hearing stories about artists and artmakers. Organizers want to record the stories of willing participants to add them to the Grant Arnold collection at SUNY Oswego.

About Grant Arnold

Grant Arnold began his career in 1928 as a student at the Art Student’s League in New York City, where he worked as a lithographer for the league and the Woodstock Artists’ Association. At Woodstock in the 1930s, he printed for leading American artists such as Thomas Hart Benton, Don Freeman and others. 

His book, “Creative Lithography and How to Do It,” published in 1941, was the most comprehensive book on the subject available at the time. Active as an artist, Arnold had his lithographs shown in museums throughout the 1930s; others were collected by the New York Public Library and the Library of Congress,

During World War II, Arnold worked in Washington, D.C., as a lithographer/mapmaker. After 1945, he became a New York State public school art teacher. Twenty-seven years later, upon his retirement, he came to Oswego, where he was appointed an adjunct professor at SUNY Oswego. During his time here, he continued to work on lithographs. 

In 1974, he donated a collection of 354 lithographs by American artists to our permanent art collection, called the “Grant Arnold Collection of Fine Prints.” This outstanding collection represents artists of the 1930s and on, including some of Arnold’s own work, and is in constant use for exhibitions and study.

To honor the memory of Grant Arnold and his contribution to the art world, and to this university, the Department of Art and Design bestows an award annually to deserving students.

Tyler Art Gallery is open 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. It is closed during academic breaks, specifically March 9 to 18 when SUNY Oswego is on spring recess.

For additional information about this exhibition, or for persons with disabilities needing assistance to visit the exhibition, call the Art and Design Department at 315-312-2111.