Jon Schueler, who died in New York in 1992 at the age of 75, created many of his pieces from a studio in Mallaig in the Highlands.
He was inspired by views of the Sound of Sleat and also of Skye, which lies across the stretch of sea.
An arts symposium and exhibition at the college runs from Friday to Sunday.
Called An Linne: Echoes, Reflections and Transfigurations, the events mark the centenary of the artist's birth in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1916.
The painter, who served as a navigator on US bombers flown out of England during World War Two, moved to Mallaig in 1957 and he continued to visit and work in the village in the north-west Highlands throughout his career.
Many of his pieces were influenced by the changing weather on the west coast and the effect the conditions had on the sea.
Magda Salvesen, curator of the Jon Schueler Estate, said: "The Sound of Sleat became to Schueler a place of experience, memory and mood.
"The specificity of this body of water fed Schueler's paintings - their imagery enlarged through layers of memory.
"How appropriate and challenging that the symposium celebrating the artist's centenary should be held on Skye, an island seen through changing weather from his studio in Mallaig."
The celebration at SMO - Scotland's National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture, and which offers a Jon Schueler Residency scholarship - includes talks on Schueler's life and work and an exhibition of selected pieces from his time in Mallaig.
Donnie Munro, director of development, fundraising and the arts at SMO, described the artist as having a "profoundly deep experiential affinity with the Sound of Sleat".
He said this connection led Schueler to create some of his most celebrated works.

Louis Kayes, from Moodiesburn in North Lanarkshire, called the club to tell them he was sorry he had not made it to Saturday's game against Motherwell.
The boy's mother, 35-year-old Lisa Kayes, said he had borrowed her phone to make the call.
She told the BBC her son had called after a "bit of a guilt trip".
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland's Kaye Adams programme, she said: "He was in the living room with my phone and then I heard the voicemail message from Celtic Park saying 'thank you for calling'."
Ms Kayes said Louis wanted to speak to the club's manager, Brendan Rodgers, and his favourite player, Celtic captain Scott Brown, to apologise and explain his absence.
"He wanted to let both of them know he'd missed it in case they were looking for him," she said.
Louis told BBC Scotland the birthday party had been "good", but said he would definitely not be missing Wednesday evening's Champions League clash with Borussia Monchengladbach.
He predicted a 3-1 victory for his club, but confessed to feeling some pre-match nerves.
Ms Kayes added: "He's possibly the most passionate five-year-old I know in terms of supporting Celtic. He doesn't like to miss a game.
"I think Celtic-Motherwell is the last home game he'll miss in a while. I don't think we'll be getting him to many other things on a Saturday afternoon."
The life and work of an American Expressionist painter is being celebrated at Skye's Gaelic college Sabhal MÃ²r Ostaig (SMO).
[NEXT_CONCEPT]
A five-year-old Celtic fan rang the club to apologise for missing a game after it clashed with a friend's birthday party.