Currently on view at Destiny USA, Lower Level beneath the Food Court
Free and open to the public
The Blue Whale Coffee House model, created by Central New York artist Lee Brown Coye in 1955, is temporarily housed at Destiny USA while the Onondaga Historical Association undergoes a building project. During this time, the piece is being carefully cleaned and refurbished by students from Syracuse University’s Museum Studies program and Colgate University’s Picker Art Gallery.
Although Coye worked in nearly every medium, model making became an unexpected interest. This model was inspired by the coffee houses of colonial New England and New York, which served as community centers, news hubs, libraries, and meeting spaces. The waterfront setting, complete with lodging, food, drink, and artisan work, may reflect the historic Tontine Coffee House in New York City, an early center of Revolutionary discussion and the starting point of the New York Stock Exchange. The model highlights Coye’s fascination with historic architecture, regional history, and spatial perspective. As he said, “all creative work is basically a problem in space manipulation.”
About Lee Brown Coye
Lee Brown Coye (1907 – 1981) was a Central New York artist, illustrator, painter, author, and model maker. Born in Tully and later based in Syracuse and Hamilton, he drew inspiration from the landscapes, architecture, and folklore of the region. He often sketched the rural scenes of Tully, the Victorian homes along James Street in Syracuse, and the atmospheric character of Central New York.
Coye researched topics ranging from the Erie Canal to the American Revolution and wrote the popular “Chips and Shavings” column for the Mid York Weekly, blending history with personal storytelling. His first solo exhibition took place at the Syracuse Museum of Fine Arts in 1938, and he continued to produce significant work throughout his career, including The Blue Whale Coffee House.
This has all been possible due to assistance from Syracuse University’s Museum Studies Program and Colgate University’s Picker Art Gallery and their talented staff and researchers.
We would like to thank our presenting sponsor M&T Bank for supporting our cleaning and restoration of Coye’s work.
