The Burchfield-Penney Art Center at Buffalo State College is opening three new exhibitions on October 25, 2003: Remembering Robert N. Blair, Images of War and In Context: Art and Text.

Remembering Robert N. Blair

October 25, 2003 - January 18, 2004

Selections from the Burchfield-Penney's collection will pay homage to Robert N. Blair (1912-2003), who was recognized as one of Western New York's most accomplished watercolor painters. Many people consider his most important series to be his first-hand observations in Europe during World War II. Selections from the generous gift made by the artist in 1985 will be featured with later works, including his landscapes of Western New York.

Images of War

October 25, 2003 - January 18, 2004

In addition to the Robert N. Blair collection of World War II watercolors, the Burchfield-Penney Art Center's collection contains other works that examine the effects of war, with images of its participants and its victims. This exhibition will include Tanya Ganson's works on the Russian Revolution, Patty Wallace's diptych referencing the Vietnam War, Stephen Saracino's image of war in the Middle East, and Endi Poskovic's images relating to the Bosnian war, as well as works by Harvey Breverman, Westley Olmsted, Joseph Orffeo, Esther Hoyt Sawyer and Robert Senkpiel.

In Context: Art and Text

October 25, 2003 - February 8, 2004

Exhibited works from the collection will be a resource for an Arts-In-Education collaborative project with Kenmore West High School funded by the New York State Council on the Arts. The theme of the exhibition is the relationship between visual art and written language. Selected paintings, drawings, photographs, prints and sculpture will explore the ways that artists use text in their art, incorporating passages of text, words or single letters as a meaningful part of the composition. The artists represented include Charles Agel, Nancy Dwyer, Marion Faller, Bonnie Gordon, Richard Kegler, Robert Lax, Joseph Piccillo, Russell Ram, Robert D. Schroeck and Andrew Topolski.

Continuing exhibitions on view at the Burchfield-Penney include:

Listening to the Trees: Burchfield Masterworks from the Spiro Family Collection until November 2, 2003

Inspired by Burchfield: Naturescapes by Orleans Niagara BOCES Special Education Students until November 2, 2003.

Impressions of Niagara: Selections from the Charles Rand Penney Collection until January 4, 2004

John Pfahl: Arcadia Revisited until January 4, 2004

Recent Acquisitions of Craft Art until February 15, 2004

About the Burchfield-Penney Art Center

The Burchfield-Penney Art Center is a museum dedicated to the art and vision of Charles E. Burchfield and distinguished artists of Buffalo Niagara and Western New York State. Through its affiliation with Buffalo State College, the museum encourages learning and celebrates our richly creative and diverse community. For more information, call (716) 878-6011 or visit www.burchfield-penney.org.

The Burchfield-Penney Art Center is supported in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts and County of Erie. Additional operating support is provided by the Elizabeth Elser Doolittle Trust, the Mary A. H. Rumsey Foundation and the Burchfield-Penney's members.