The Westmoreland Announces 2026 as the Year of the American Landscape Beginning with Two New Exhibitions Opening This Weekend
GREENSBURG, Pennsylvania (January 21, 2026) — The Westmoreland Museum of American Art announces 2026 as the Year of the American Landscape, beginning with two new exhibitions, Florida Highwaymen Painters and it takes a long time to stay here: Paintings by Jordan Ann Craig, which open this Sunday, January 25. This initiative aligns with the United States’ 250th Anniversary and includes the yearlong presentation of a variety of exhibitions centered on the American landscape.
“Throughout 2026, we will explore the American landscape, and its beauty, resilience, and power to connect us,” said Director/CEO Silvia Filippini-Fantoni, PhD. “These inspiring exhibitions and the related programming will offer visitors a broad look at the American experience—all in celebration of this semiquincentennial year.”
Florida Highwaymen Painters (January 25–May 17, 2026) features 26 self-taught Black artists who produced and sold paintings of Florida’s landscapes from the 1950s through the 1980s. The artists, excluded from traditional galleries during the era of segregation, established an independent system of marketing and distributing their work. They sold their still-wet paintings door-to-door, in offices and hotels, and along highways to reach tourists, new residents, and local buyers. In 2004, all 26 artists were inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, affirming their place in the broader American art story. The exhibition examines the artistic, social, and economic contexts that shaped their work and highlights how creative practice functioned as a pathway to opportunity and self-determination.
Opening in conjunction with Florida Highwaymen Painters, the Museum is pleased to present it takes a long time to stay here: Paintings by Jordan Ann Craig (January 25, 2026–January 18, 2027), featuring Craig’s abstract works informed by the landscapes and visual traditions of the American Southwest. Craig, a Northern Cheyenne artist living in New Mexico, creates large-scale, geometric, abstract paintings that reward close, sustained attention. Her intricate designs draw inspiration from her chosen home of the Pojoaque Valley, as well as Northern Cheyenne and Cheyenne beadwork and quillwork, Pueblo pottery, and other traditional art forms. Created with controlled precision on the surface, the edges of her paintings remain intentionally unfinished, reflecting Craig’s exploration of the balance between structure and imperfection. The exhibition title, it takes a long time to stay here, is drawn from the poem “spinning air” by Northern Cheyenne poet m.s. RedCherries. For Craig, the line suggests how staying in place fosters deeper connections with people, cultures, and landscapes.
The year features additional exhibitions connected to the theme of American landscapes. Opening in February is Shaping the American Landscape, presenting works by leading artists from the Hudson River School and the movements of Tonalism, Impressionism, and Modernism through exceptional loans from The American Art Collection of J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox and the National Academy of Design, in dialogue with works from The Westmoreland’s collection. In June, Clementine Hunter: As I Saw It opens in the Friedlander Gallery, highlighting Hunter’s depictions of daily life in Louisiana’s Cane River region. From September 12, 2026 through January 18, 2027, The Westmoreland hosts an exhibition of works by Ansel Adams, highlighting a selection of his iconic photographs of the American landscape. In dialogue with the works by Adams is an exhibition of contemporary landscape photographs selected in partnership with Silver Eye Center for Photography.
As previously announced, Steel Valley Visions: An American Legacy, an exhibition exploring the history of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s steel industry and its impact on both regional development and national growth, runs throughout 2026. Opening today, Wednesday, January 21, a new immersive experience of the same title will transport visitors into the sights and sounds of the mills and mines that once defined the local landscape. Additionally, a Liberty Bell replica remains on view outside the Museum through 2026 as part of America250PA’s Bells Across PA initiative. With a glass mosaic design by Ligonier artist Mandy Sirofchuck, the bell depicts regional landmarks and waterways, diverse wildlife, and lush natural resources.
For more information about the Florida Highwaymen Painters and it takes a long time to stay here: Paintings by Jordan Ann Craig exhibitions and the Museum’s 2026 Year of the American Landscapes, visit thewestmoreland.org/the-american-landscape.
Florida Highwaymen Painters is organized by the Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts.
it takes a long time to stay here: Paintings by Jordan Ann Craig was curated by The Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University.
The Westmoreland’s exhibition program is generously supported by the Hillman Foundation and The Heinz Endowments.
Additional support for Florida Highwaymen Painters is provided by an anonymous supporter.
Support for it takes a long time to stay here: Paintings by Jordan Ann Craig is provided by Art Bridges.
Clementine Hunter: As I Saw It is generously lent by American Folk Art Museum, New York as part of Art Bridges’ Partner Loan Network.
The Ansel Adams exhibition is organized by Landau Traveling Exhibitions, Los Angeles, CA and comprised of works from the Collection of the Turtle Bay Exploration Park, Redding, CA.
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About The Westmoreland Museum of American Art
Western Pennsylvania’s only museum dedicated to American art, The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, offers meaningful and engaging cultural experiences that build community and inspire creativity, new ideas, and action through the power of art. The Westmoreland’s extraordinary permanent collection, with its strong focus on the art and artists of Southwestern Pennsylvania, is complemented by an impressive temporary exhibition schedule featuring both nationally traveling exhibitions and those organized by the Museum. Additionally, The Westmoreland presents a full calendar of community-oriented and family-friendly experiences.
General admission to the Museum is free. The Museum’s operating hours are September–May: Wednesday–Sunday, 10am–5pm, June–August: Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, 10am–5pm and Friday, 12–7pm. The Museum is closed Monday and Tuesday and on New Year’s Day, Easter, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
For more information, visit thewestmoreland.org.
About Art Bridges Foundation
Art Bridges Foundation is the vision of philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton. Founded in 2017, Art Bridges creates and supports projects that share works of American art with communities across the United States and its territories. Art Bridges partners with a growing network of over 300 museums—impacting 25 million people nationwide—to provide financial and strategic support for exhibitions, collection loans, and programs designed to educate, inspire, and deepen engagement with local communities. The Art Bridges Collection represents an expanding vision of American art from the 19th century to present day and encompasses multiple media and voices. For more information, visit artbridgesfoundation.org.