EASTON, MD.- The Academy Art Museum presents From Sea to Shining Sea: American Landscape Painting, 1850–1950, a blockbuster exhibition exploring a century of American art through the landscapes that helped shape the nation's cultural identity. On view Nov. 7, 2026, through May 23, 2027, the exhibition brings together nearly 50 paintings from a major American collection, featuring some of the most celebrated artists in American art history.

Featuring works by Albert Bierstadt, Childe Hassam, George Inness, Robert Henri, Fitz Henry Lane and N.C. Wyeth, the exhibition showcases artists who helped define how Americans saw and understood their country. From dramatic mountain vistas and rugged coastlines to quiet rural scenes, their paintings captured not only the beauty of the natural world but also the changing identity of a growing nation.

Arranged geographically and chronologically, From Sea to Shining Sea takes visitors on a visual road trip across the country, from Maine's rocky shores and New England's rolling hills to the majestic Rocky Mountains, California, Puerto Rico and Alaska. Along the way, visitors will discover how American landscape painting evolved over 100 years, from the grand, romantic visions of the Hudson River School to the vibrant colors of Impressionism and the experimentation of early Modernism.

Among the exhibition's highlights is Allen Tucker's Storm in the Rockies (1912), one of four paintings by the artist featured in the groundbreaking 1913 Armory Show in New York. The exhibition introduced many Americans to bold new approaches to art, challenging traditional ideas about how the world should be represented. Seven artists featured in From Sea to Shining Sea participated in that landmark exhibition, connecting the collection to a pivotal moment in American art history.

Between 1850 and 1950, the United States experienced extraordinary change, from westward expansion and industrialization to the emergence of modern American life. Against this backdrop, landscape painting became a powerful expression of national identity, capturing the beauty of the natural world while reflecting changing attitudes toward settlement, conservation and progress. The exhibition invites visitors to explore these complex histories through the eyes of the artists who witnessed them.

"These paintings are much more than beautiful landscapes. They offer a window into how America saw itself during a century of remarkable transformation," said Brian J. Lang, Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Academy Art Museum. "As we commemorate 250 years of American independence, From Sea to Shining Sea gives us an opportunity to revisit these extraordinary works with fresh eyes, discover the stories behind them and consider what they reveal about our own relationship with the land today."

The exhibition also reflects the Academy Art Museum's own artistic heritage and the Eastern Shore's longstanding role as a place of inspiration for artists. Many of the featured painters worked in influential art colonies across the country, including Old Lyme and Cos Cob in Connecticut, Monhegan in Maine and Taos in New Mexico. Founded by artists in 1958, the Academy Art Museum shares this tradition of bringing artists together to create, exchange ideas and explore the world around them.

"Bringing an exhibition of this caliber to the Eastern Shore is an extraordinary opportunity for our community and visitors from across the region," said Charlotte Potter Kasic, Executive Director of the Academy Art Museum. "These are artists whose work helped shape the course of American art, and we're proud to make this remarkable collection accessible to everyone, right here in Easton. Whether you're discovering these artists for the first time or returning to familiar favorites, From Sea to Shining Sea offers something new to see, learn and experience."