American Identity: Restoring the Susquehanna River’s Artistic Legacy

American Identity: Restoring the Susquehanna River’s Artistic Legacy is drawn from the Friends of the Susquehanna River Art Collection (SRAFriends.org) and curated by Rob Evans. As part of the nationwide America 250 commemoration, this exhibition brings together over 100 historic works, spanning four centuries, that explore the Susquehanna River as an enduring geographic presence and iconic image in American art.  

The Hudson River School, flourishing in the mid-19th century, is considered the first American school of painting—distinctive in its focus on the untamed landscape and its deliberate departure from European artistic conventions. However, long before the Hudson River inspired American artists, many were already studying the Susquehanna River. American Identity reveals the Susquehanna River as a key formative influence on the Hudson River School and as an important catalyst in American art history.

Since the nation began, American identity has been linked to the beauty of the American landscape. As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, the exhibition provides a fresh viewpoint on how American artists learned to see and portray the land. American Identity presents a sample of American history, portraying daily life as seen firsthand by the artists along the river’s shores. In Harrisburg, where the Susquehanna River is still a significant presence, these works hold new importance for today’s audience. 

Background about the Susquehanna River Art Collection
The core collection of Susquehanna River related art was amassed by Pennsylvania artist Rob Evans, whose celebrated four decades long artistic career has drawn from his deep connection to the Susquehanna River Valley. A fascination with his artistic roots as a Susquehanna inspired painter led him to initially organize the landmark exhibition Visions of the Susquehanna: 250 Years of Paintings by American Masters, which traveled from 2006 to 2008 to several museums (including the Susquehanna Art Museum) throughout the mid-Atlantic region. Following that exhibit’s success, Evans curated a second touring exhibition, Drawing on the Susquehanna, which opened at the Historic Hellam Preserve in York, PA, in 2019. Recognizing the river’s importance to his own artistic practice, he continued his research over the course of the next five years and acquired more than 200 works of art that illuminate the river’s rich history.

Working in tandem with Evans, his friend and patron, philanthropist James Snyder, amassed his own extensive collection of Susquehanna themed paintings and other objects. In May of 2025, The Friends of the Susquehanna River Art Collection was formed as a 501c 3 not-for-profit organization by a group of arts patrons, under the expert guidance of former art museum director and consultant Terrie Sultan, with the vision of acquiring and combining these two existing collections assembled by Evans and Snyder, and to expanding and caring for the collection until a new, purpose-built museum is established. To facilitate that dream, the Friends are currently exploring a dedicated art museum fully integrated into the Susquehanna Discovery Center & Heritage Park being developed by the Susquehanna National Heritage Area at the historic Mifflin Farm outside Wrightsville, PA.
The Susquehanna River Art Collection is now arguably the largest single holding of Susquehanna related artwork anywhere, shining a long deserved spotlight on the forgotten nationally important artistic legacy of this oldest of rivers, which, by mid-19th century was one of the most famous rivers in the world, only to fall into near obscurity half a century later.

More information about the Friends of the Susquehanna River Art Collection can be found at: SRAFriends.org