The Burchfield-Penney Art Center at Buffalo State College is pleased to announce the election of three new members to the museum's Council: Deborah A. Abgott, Eva M. Hassett and Victor Shanchuk, Jr. Officers of the Council are Adrian Dedecker III, Chair, Audre Bunis, Vice-Chair, Penny Flickinger, Vice-Chair, Scott Goldman, Vice-Chair and Rita Argen Auerbach, Secretary.

"Each member of the Council brings his or her own expertise to Burchfield-Penney Art Center," said Ted Pietrzak, director of the Burchfield-Penney Art Center. "Deborah Abgott, Eva Hassett and Victor Shanchuk all have a unique perspective which will both strengthen and energize the Council."

Deborah A. Abgott is the past-president of Partners' Press Inc. and is now president of Abgott Realty Corp. Ms. Abgott is a member of the Buffalo Newspress Inc. Board of Directors, the Printing and Imaging Association of New York State and the Buffalo Executives' Association and a past-member of the CEPA Gallery's Board of Directors. She is a graduate of the State University of New York at Binghamton.

Eva M. Hassett is currently Chief of Staff for Buffalo Mayor Anthony M. Masiello. She is a graduate of Radcliffe College and earned an MBA from the Yale School of Management. Ms. Hassett's community associations include the Yale School of Management Alumni Association, Alcohol and Drug Dependancy Services, Leadership Buffalo, New York State Attorney Grievance Committee and the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Ms. Hassett was voted one of Business First's Forty Under Forty in 1993 and one of Business First's Top 100 Influential People in 1995.

Victor Shanchuk, Jr. is an educator with over forty years of experience teaching in Western New York for the Buffalo Public Schools and as lecturer/instructor at Buffalo State College, Canisius College, University at Buffalo, Villa Maria College and D'Youville College as well as the Albright-Knox Art Gallery's education programs and Nichols Summer School. A professional artist, Mr. Shanchuk's work has been shown at galleries and in both Western New York and Canada. He is an active volunteer with the Burchfield-Penney Art Center, Binational Niagara Tourism Alliance, Doors Open Niagara, Roswell Park Cancer Institute Alliance Art Committee, Buffalo Niagara Cultural Tourism Initiative and the Buffalo Niagara Convention and Visitor's Bureau Cultural Tourism Committee.

Those who are continuing their membership on the Burchfield-Penney Council are Steven G. Biltekoff, James Bower, James Brandys, Gary Brost, Dwight Brown, John Cordes, Jackie Culliton, R. William Doolittle, Jr., David Flynn, John Gartner , Carol Heckman, Muriel A. Howard, Nancy Jewett, LeRoi Johnson, Stanley Kardonsky, Carol Kociela, Marlene Sisti Larocque, Edna M. Lindemann, Phyllis Lutwack, Paul Michaels, Mark Gaston Pearce, Calvin G. Rand, Paula Reinhold, Sylvia L. Rosen, E. Peter Ruddy, Jr., Jamie Schrock, Victor Shanchuk, Jr. , Peter J. Sowiski, Mortimer Spiller, Harriet Vogelsang, Wayne Wisbaum, Edward Wozniak, Benjamin Zuffranieri and Charles Rand Penney, Honorary Lifetime Trustee.

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 accredited by the American Association of Museums and 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.