Burchfield-Penney Announces Exhibition Schedule for Winter 2004

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The winter schedule for the Burchfield-Penney Art Center at Buffalo State Collge includes exhibitions, concerts, readings, lectures and workshops.

New Exhibitions

Art as Revelation: Sculptures and Altars by Wes Olmsted

January 17 – March 21, 2004

Opening Reception: January 16, 2004 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

The Burchfield-Penney is presenting the first comprehensive survey of sculptures, altarpieces and prints by Westley Olmsted. The works announce the demands of the passionate, spiritual life contending with the broken parts of the mechanical world, informing them with beauty and with pain, direct, and often, violent confrontation and affirming the welcome chance of the artist to provoke and to proclaim. Support for this exhibition was provided by Mr. and Mrs. Sherlock A. Herrick, Jr. and Mrs. Annette M. Cravens.

Lecture: Wes Olmsted on January 18, 2004 at 2:00 p.m.

Panel Discussion: Wes Olmsted, Dave Sharp, Robert Bertholf, Victor Shanchuk, Jr. and Ben Perrone on February 29, 2004 at 2:00 p.m.

Reading: Dave Sharp on March 21, 2004 at 2:00 p.m.

Fluxus / Realization

February 7 – March 21, 2004

Opening Reception: February 6, 2004 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Performances: February 15 and February 22, 2004 at 2:00 p.m.

An exhibition of Fluxus works and Music Realizations will be held in conjunction with two performances by Buffalo-based ensembles, Bufffluxus and Augenmusik on February 15 and February 22 at 2:00 p.m. Works by Dick Higgins, Alison Knowles, Jackson Mac Low, Yoko Ono, Michael Basinski, John Cage, Earl Brown, La Monte Young, Earle Brown and Leah Muir works will be on view.

The Buffalo Seminary Colby Art Program 20th Anniversary Exhibition

February 7 - May 23, 2004

Opening reception: February 6, 2004 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

The Colby Art Program at Buffalo Seminary is celebrating its 20th anniversary with an exhibition of the complete Colby Collection at the Burchfield-Penney. The Colby Collection includes works from prominent Western New York artists, including Patricia Layman Bazelon, Nancy Belfer, Jean McKay Henrich, Catherine Catanzaro Koenig, Barbara Rowe, Christina Rupp and Ellen Steinfeld. Support for this exhibition was provided by the Estate of Mrs. Jean McKay Henrich.

Draw the Line: Crisis Services Community Poster Competition

Education Corridor

February 14 - May 30, 2004

In conjunction with Sexual Assault Awareness Month (April), this exhibition will feature posters and artwork selected from a county-wide open competition conducted by Crisis Services. High school and college students and senior citizens were invited to submit artwork that spoke out against family and domestic violence, elder abuse, rape and sexual assault. A jury of artists and service providers selected the winning entries which will be on view.

Musical Burchfields

February 21 - June 13, 2004

Burchfield's journals reveal very little direct influence of other artists' works on his painting, but the monumental significance of natural sounds and music is clearly evident. Most importantly for Burchfield, music conjured up visions and memories. Music was inseparable from his aesthetic. The artist strove to achieve in his own painting the same heroic romanticism that he heard in music, particularly that of Beethoven and Sibelius. This exhibition is presented in conjunction with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra’s tribute to Burchfield on January 30 and 31, 2004. In the concert, Music Director JoAnn Falletta will lead the BPO in performing Morton Gould’s Burchfield Gallery and Symphony No. 2 in D Major by Jean Sibelius.

Continuing Exhibitions

Remembering Robert N. Blair

October 25, 2003 - January 18, 2004

Selectioe collection will pay homage to Robert N. Blair (1912-2003), who was recognized as one of Western New York’s most accomplished watercolor painters. Manypeople 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, Wes Olmsted, Charles Cary Rumsey, 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. 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.

BULLYING: Ken-Ton Students Respond through Art

Education Corridor

November 8, 2003 - February 1, 2004

This exhibition features projects from the Ken-Ton Schools that were designed to confront the issue of bullying. Students at Kenmore East High School created paper casts of joined pairs of their hands encouraging group camaraderie and successfully broke down boundaries in the classroom. Third grade students at Roosevelt Elementary School constructed multicolored window-like transparencies that incorporated personal statements and responses to bullying.

American Land, American Life

November 15, 2003 - February 8, 2004

Few artists or writers have been able to show so distinctively the amazing characteristics of the natural world as Burchfield. He drew inspiration from authors such as Henry David Thoreau and John Burroughs, and poets Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, William Cullen Bryant and John Greenleaf Whittier. At the age of twenty, already immersed in the idea of recording his intense impressions, he decided to become an artist instead of a naturalist. This exhibition demonstrates Burchfield’s ethos through paintings, drawings and prints from the Burchfield-Penney Art Center’s collection, the largest, most comprehensive Burchfield Collection in the world.

Recent Acquisitions of Craft Art from the Collection

July 26, 2003 – April 18, 2004

On view are Nancy Valle’s terra cotta sculpture, Taeyoul Ryu’s rocking chair made of bent plywood with ash veneer, Carol Townsend’s stoneware vessel, all acquired with funds from the Collectors’ Club as well as Wayne Higby's Avatar Beach, from his tile sculpture series, Thresholds, purchased with funds from Sylvia L. Rosen and Jeremy Hatch's Ceramech Model #4, the purchase prize winner from Craft Art Western New York 2002.

Upcoming Exhibitions

Wet and Fresh: A Survey of Current Watercolor in Western New York

April 3, 2004 - June 27, 2004

Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967) was renowned for his unique mastery of lishing national respect for the medium. This exhibition, the first of its kind at the Burchfield-Penney, will demonstrate how artists from our region are currently using watercolor. Curator of Education Gerald Mead and noted regional watercolorist Rita Argen Auerbach have selected work by a number of fine artists, illustrators and designers to explore the range of styles, approaches and applications of watercolor.

NY Collects Buffalo State

July 9 – October 1, 2004

Presenting works of art created by former students of Buffalo State College, NY Collects Buffalo State will examine the impact that Buffalo State College has had on the art world in general and specifically, the state of the arts in New York. The exhibition will feature artists whose works are in museum, corporate and private collections in New York State.

Permanent Exhibitions

The Roycroft Legacy

The Roycroft Legacy is a fascinating exhibition of late 19th and early 20th century furniture, domestic objects, and publications by Roycroft artisans, primarily donated by Charles Rand Penney.

Charles E. Burchfield’s Studio

This authentic recreation of a corner of Burchfield's Gardenville, New York, studio presents many of the artist's tools and favorite inspirational objects, as well as the unpretentious furniture that equipped his comfortable work site. Reflecting the studio's appearance in the mid-1960s, this vignette reveals the humble environment in which the artist worked.

The Metcalfe Rooms

Second Floor, Rockwell Hall

The Metcalfe House, designed in 1882 by the well-known New York City firm McKim, Mead & White, stood on the corner of North Street and Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, NY until 1980. Preservationists were able to only save parts of the structure from demolition. The dining room and library are now housed in Rockwell Hall; the Metcalfe House staircase is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Please call (716) 878-6120 for an appointment to view the rooms.

Offsite Exhibitions

A Tribute to Charles Burchfield

Kleinhans Music Hall, 370 Pennsylvania Street, Buffalo, NY

Friday, January 30, 8pm

Saturday, January 31, 8pm

In collaboration with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Kleinhans Music Hall, the Burchfield-Penney Art Center is lending two Charles E. Burchfield paintings to coincide with a concert in honor of the artist. Conductor JoAnn Falletta will lead the BPO in performing Morton Gould’s Burchfield Gallery and Symphony No. 2 in D Major by Jean Sibelius.

Photographic Progress: From Pictorialism to Post-Modernism

1 M&T Center, Buffalo, N.Y.

November 5, 2003 – May 5, 2004

With support from M&T Bank for its ongoing series of exhibitions at the M&T Center in downtown Buffalo, the Burchfield-Penney presents examples from its photography collection. The exhibition represents the emergence of photography from the realm of science to the world of art. Free public tours are held most Tuesdays at noon. Call (716) 878-6020 to confirm. The M&T Center is open to the public.

Celebrating E. B. Green

Buffalo Architecture Center, Market Arcade, Buffalo, N.Y.

November 18, 2003 – June 25, 2004

This exhibition features photo-enlargements of several civic buildings, clubhouses and residences that were designed by noted Buffalo architect E. B. Green (1855-1950) including the Albright Art Gallery, Buffalo Savings Bank, Buffalo Central YMCA and the Garret Club. The images are from an exhibition of Green’s architecture presented at the Burchfield-Penney in 1997. The display is co-sponsored by the Landmark Society of the Niagara Frontier.

Other Programs

Concerts in conjunction with Fluxus / Realization:

February 1t 2:00 p.m.

Bufffluxus and Augenmusik

The Burchfield-Penney Art Center presents an exhibition of Fluxus Works and Music Realizations in conjunction with two performances by Buffalo-based ensembles BuffFluxus and Augenmusik. Each performance contains Fluxus and Realization works juxtaposed to create a program that captures the creative spirit of these two important movements of the 20th century while illustrating the significance of Western New York artists to these movements.

FREE DAY at the Burchfield-Penney, February 8, 2004

Poetry Reading: Loss Glazier

Sunday, February 8 at 2:00 p.m.

Dr. Glazier is Director of the Electronic Poetry Center ( http://epc.buffalo.edu/), an extensive resource for innovative and digital poetry, at the University at Buffalo. He is the author of Digital Poetics, Small Press: An Annotated Guide, and the collections Leaving Loss Glazier, The Parts and other books, as well as numerous published poems, essays, kinetic works, and online projects including sound files, hypertexts, and CD-ROM publications. This program is free and open to the public.

Family Workshop: A Brush with Burchfield

Sunday, February 8 at 2:00 p.m.

After examining Charles Burchfield’s watercolors in the exhibition, American Land, American Life, participants will explore how different paintbrushes, how much water you use and how the choice of paper create various "wet and dry" effects. This workshop will be conducted by art teacher Nicole Chernega. Children 8 years and older are welcome with an accompanying adult. Please call 716-878-6020 to register. Space is limited.

Unlucky/In Love: Happy Hour Cabaret with Guy Boleri

Friday, February 13, 2004 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Join the Burchfield-Penney for a cabaret happy hour featuring Guy Boleri. On the eve of St. Valentine’s Day, Guy Boleri will perform songs of love – and loves lost – in a lounge-style atmosphere. Admission is free to members of the Burchfield-Penney and $5 for non-members. Call (716) 878-4529 for reservations (recommended).

Art as Revelation: Sculptures and Altars by Wes Olmsted

Lecture: Wes Olmsted on January 18, 2004 at 2:00 p.m.

Panel Discussion: Wes Olmsted, Dave Sharp, Robert Bertholf, Victor Shanchuk, Jr. and Ben Perrone on February 29, 2004 at 2:00 p.m.

Reading: Dave Sharp on Sunday, March 21, 2004 at 2:00 p.m.

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, a State agency, 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.
Media Contact:
Kathleen Heyworth, Public Relations, Burchfield-Penney Art Center | 7168784529 | heyworkm@buffalostate.edu