Kenneth Worcester Dow and Mary Mohan Dow Gallery of American Art

After years of planning and construction, the Arts in America: 1700–1900 gallery opened at the Museum of Arts & Sciences on May 20, 1986. At 4,000 square feet, it was the only gallery of its kind in Florida, designed to showcase the Museum’s growing collection of American furniture, paintings, watercolors, and decorative arts. Interpreted chronologically, the gallery highlighted key periods in American history—from the Pilgrim Century and the 18th century to the Victorian era—illustrating the nation’s evolution through craftsmanship, style, and design.

 

In 1989, Kenneth Worcester Dow and his wife, Mary Mohan Dow, greatly expanded the Museum’s collection with their remarkable gift of American art and furnishings. Their donation included hundreds of paintings, pieces of furniture, and decorative objects, featuring folk and academic portraits, Hudson River School landscapes, and early American still-life paintings. This generous contribution transformed the Arts in America gallery into one of the Museum’s most treasured collections, offering visitors a vivid window into early American life and culture.

 

Kenneth W. Dow, a Detroit native and passionate collector, shared a lifelong love of art and travel with his wife, Mary. Following her passing in 1986, Dow chose to share their extensive collection with the public, ensuring that their legacy of appreciation for American artistry would live on. Today, the Arts in America gallery continues to celebrate the craftsmanship, beauty, and cultural history of the nation’s early centuries through the Dows’ enduring gift.​