The city of New Britian is known for being home to Central Connecticut State University and Charter Oak State College, but some may not know that it's also home to the first American art museum in the nation.

New Britain Museum of American Art is the nation's first museum dedicated to collecting American art, and its collection represents over three centuries of works.

Museum officials say visitors really love to come see the Hudson River School paintings because they are easy to understand and have beautiful landscapes.

Director of education Maura O'Shea says it’s their mission to amplify the voices of America within the works of the museum.

"Because artists have such broad and diverse points of view,  and ways of presenting issues, in visual format to us, it, we're really able to open up dialogues to make a difficult to have in other places," O'Shea says.

One unique exhibit at the museum features colorful glass sculptures with electricity inside made by Old Saybrook artist Mundy Hepburn.

Hepburn blows glass right in his own studio in Old Saybrook. He creates some electrical currents and fills the vessels with noble gases that create new colors, particularly at night.