James Colway Collection from Community Bank, N.A. 

OCMH was pleased to receive the James Colway Art Collection of 17 paintings from Community Bank, N.A. The collection was originally acquired for Oneida Savings Bank by former Bank President, Mike Kallet. Appropriately, Community Bank’s gift was donated to honor Mike Kallet.

As Community Bank President, Mark Tryniski, states: “We would like to make this contribution in honor of Mike Kallet, who served as President and CEO of Oneida Savings Bank for twenty-five years and who has been active in serving the greater Oneida and Central New York community for over forty years. Mike has served on the Board of Community Bank since our merger in 2015 and will be retiring at the end of this year. We can think of no better way to honor his legacy of service than contributing the Colway Collection to OCMH.”

The bulk of the collection was part of the Art in the Embassies program--work displayed in U.S. Embassies around the world between 1967-1982. The pieces present quintessential scenes of America by an Oneida native who lived and worked near the Mansion House. The paintings depict rural and small town scenes from such Central New York locations as Oneida, Siloam, Vernon, Boonville, Cooperstown, Oneida Lake, Stockbridge, Cazenovia, Knoxboro, Augusta and Hatch Lake.

James Colway was an important local artist who served as the Art Director and Director/Vice-President of Advertising at Oneida Limited. The Oneida Community, and subsequently Oneida Limited, understood the power of public relations and marketing from their earliest Communal days. In the early 20th century, Oneida Limited was on the vanguard of advertising, hiring major artists to design ads. This trend began with artists such as Coles Phillips and Maxfield Parrish and continued with James Colway. The Colway Collection will help OCMH tell the story of the creative innovation of Oneida Limited.

OCMH looks forward to a future opening event to showcase this collection and honor Mike Kallet and Community Bank’s gift.

Thanks to Rick Stickels, President of Oneida Savings Bank Charitable Foundation, who was instrumental in facilitating this donation to OCMH.