In Cooperstown, Grandma Moses Takes the Plate

WHAT: "Grandma Moses: Grandmother to the Nation" at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.

WHEN: May 27-Dec. 31

HOW MUCH: $11

WHY GO: Grandma Moses is heading to Cooperstown, N.Y., home of baseball's Hall of Fame, but not because of her batting average or home run output. Rather, the works of the celebrated American folk artist, spanning her entire career, will be displayed in an exhibit featuring paintings, personal items and quotes illustrating the legacy of her work.

BACK STORY: Grandma Moses, born Anna Mary Robertson in 1860, began painting in the 1930s after arthritis forced her to give up embroidery. She soon became an international star because of the mass appeal of her oil paintings, which included detailed and colorful depictions of rural life. The 40 works are culled from public and private collections across the country.

Paul D'Ambrosio, the museum's chief curator, said the exhibit illustrates her standing as an "American ambassador," which became even more heightened during the Cold War following World War II. "Her paintings expressed to the world what America stood for," he said. "The United States government utilized her paintings and the popularity of her paintings to showcase American culture throughout the world."

D'Ambrosio hopes the exhibit will give her the respect that he feels might be lacking by some in artistic circles. The exhibit attempts to explain "how she worked and why her paintings look the way they do, and how she mastered a style that came to be widely copied," he said.

DON'T MISS . . . "Thanksgiving Turkey," a 1943 painting on loan from New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. D'Ambrosio says just the fact that the painting hangs in the Met says a lot about her importance and influence.

Meanwhile, 1945's "Sugaring Off" depicts sap-gathering and the making of maple syrup in a rural community against a snowy landscape. It expresses the joy of community life and people being together. And "Rockabye," a 1957 self portrait, presents the artist in a grandmotherly role sitting in a rocking chair, which is how she thought of herself, according to D'Ambrosio.

EXTRAS: The museum's "Food for Thought" series (June 21 at noon; $20) features a tour of the exhibit by D'Ambrosio that includes a buffet lunch. Call 888-547-1450 for info . . . Take a ride on the new Empire State Carousel, opening over Memorial Day weekend at the Farmers' Museum (adjacent to the Fenimore). The carousel took 20 years to construct with the help of more than 1,000 volunteers and features 23 hand-carved animals . . . Baseball fans may want to time the trip around the annual induction weekend at the National Baseball Hall of Fame (25 Main St., 888-425-5633, http://www.baseballhalloffame.com/ ; $14.50). The July 30 ceremony, which honors pitcher Bruce Sutter and 17 members of the Negro League, is open to the public.

SLEEPS: Cooperstown's best-known hotel is the 97-year-old Otesaga Resort Hotel (60 Lake St., 800-348-6222, http://www.otesaga.com/ ), perched on the southern shore of scenic Lake Otsego. Doubles start at $360 and include dinner and breakfast. For an extra $75, the hotel offers the "Cooperstown Museum Experience," which includes tickets for two to the Fenimore, the Farmers' Museum and the Baseball Hall of Fame and other trinkets, all packaged in a tote bag.

Bed & Breakfasts abound in Cooperstown in a range of sizes and prices; go to http://www.cooperstownchamber.org/ for a complete list. For chains, visitors can find some about four miles outside of town. Choices include a Holiday Inn Express (4758 State Hwy. 28, 607-547-8000, http://www.hiexcooperstown.com/ ), where rooms start at $149 a night, and a Best Western (50 Commons Dr., 607-547-7100, http://www.bwcooperstown.com/ ), with rooms averaging about $159.

EATS: The museum's Fenimore Cafe, featuring outdoor seating overlooking Lake Otsego, offers a continental-style lunch menu that takes advantage of Cooperstown's locally grown produce. Dishes range from $6 to $10.

For a more upscale experience, the Blue Mingo Grill (6098 State Hwy. 80, 607-547-7496) is a popular spot in town, right by the water and with outdoor seating. The rustic-style restaurant offers "campfire comfort food," according to their Web site, like baby back ribs and rum-marinated salmon with prices hovering around $20. The family-friendly Doubleday Cafe (93 Main St., 607-547-5468) is a Cooperstown institution with a spacious one-room pub that attracts locals. A burger can run you less than $5, but the menu runs the gamut, from fish, veal and chicken dishes in the $20 range.

INFORMATION: The Fenimore Art Museum is on 5798 State Rte. 80. Details: 888-547-1450, http://www.fenimoreartmuseum.org/ .

-- John Maynard