Exhibition <I>Nancy Belfer: Textile Art</i> Opens Dec. 1 at the Burchfield-Penney Art Center
The Burchfield-Penney Art Center at Buffalo State College is pleased to present Nancy Belfer: Textile Art, the first in a series of exhibitions that will celebrate the accomplishments of craft art masters from Western New York.
Exhibition: Nancy Belfer: Textile Art
When: On view December 1 through February 24; museum hours Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.
Where: Burchfield-Penney Art Center, Third Floor of Rockwell Hall, Buffalo State College
Events: Members preview reception (BSC faculty and staff are welcome) on Friday, November 30, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Slide lecture by the artist on Wednesday, December 5, 6 p.m.; free and open to the public
Nancy Belfer: Textile Art and the other exhibitions in the series will be presented in the center's Sylvia L. Rosen Gallery and are funded by the Sylvia L. Rosen Endowment. The series' aim is to reinforce the center's dedication to fine art in the craft media and recognize craft art as a significant part of the region's artistic heritage. The series will focus on fiber, paper, clay, glass, wood, and metal works.
Nancy Belfer: Textile Art is comprised of selections created during an 18-year period. The exhibition surveys her hand-dyed weavings and mixed media works, many of which incorporate embroidery and other stitch work, painting, and collage techniques. Three works from the center's collection will be included in the exhibition; two were given by the artist in honor of former directors Edna M. Lindemann and Anthony Bannon.
Ms. Belfer has an M.F.A. from the School for American Craftsmen at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She taught weaving and related fiber techniques at Buffalo State College for more than thirty years. In 1982 she was honored with the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching. Her work has been included in numerous juried and invitational exhibitions throughout the country at venues that include the Downey Art Museum in Downey, California; the Museum of Contemporary Craft in New York City; the Greenville County Museum of Art in Greenville, South Carolina; and the Chautauqua Center for the Visual Arts in Chautauqua, New York. She is represented in many public, corporate, and private collections and is the author of three books and many articles on various historical and technical aspects of textiles. Ms. Belfer's textiles have been featured in publications including Objects:USA, published by the Smithsonian Institution, and several editions of Fiberarts Design Book. She is listed in Who's Who of American Women and has received fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts and the SUNY Research Foundation. Her work was selected in 1988 for the Arts in Embassies program of the U.S. State Department.
Ms. Belfer's work has undergone significant changes over the years. This exhibition explores these transformations and investigates the commonalities existing in works from different phases of her career. In the 1980s she was well known for her exquisite woven vertical wall panels, which were created using an ancient dying technique called ikat. In the two series of work that followed, Nazca Jouney and Odyssey, Ms. Belfer stitched together sections of her woven panels and used them as a background for embroidered, painted, and applied fabric designs. The artist drew inspiration for these series from the intricate patterning of early Peruvian textiles. These works led the way to Ms. Belfer's current exploration of three-dimensional works. The exhibition includes examples of her recent shield-shaped fiber wall assemblages and freestanding sculptural container forms. Ms. Belfer's recent work is also represented by a selection of her mixed media collage/paintings that incorporate textured elfer: Textile Art is made possible by funds from the Sylvia L. Rosen Endowment and the Margaret E. Mead Endowment. It is being organized by Gerald Mead, curator of education and outreach at the Burchfield-Penney. Nancy Weekly, head of collections and the Charles Cary Rumsey Curator, contributed the exhibition brochure essay.
Images of works in the exhibition and interviews with Ms. Belfer or curatorial staff from the Burchfield-Penney are available by request.
Exhibition: Nancy Belfer: Textile Art
When: On view December 1 through February 24; museum hours Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.
Where: Burchfield-Penney Art Center, Third Floor of Rockwell Hall, Buffalo State College
Events: Members preview reception (BSC faculty and staff are welcome) on Friday, November 30, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Slide lecture by the artist on Wednesday, December 5, 6 p.m.; free and open to the public
Nancy Belfer: Textile Art and the other exhibitions in the series will be presented in the center's Sylvia L. Rosen Gallery and are funded by the Sylvia L. Rosen Endowment. The series' aim is to reinforce the center's dedication to fine art in the craft media and recognize craft art as a significant part of the region's artistic heritage. The series will focus on fiber, paper, clay, glass, wood, and metal works.
Nancy Belfer: Textile Art is comprised of selections created during an 18-year period. The exhibition surveys her hand-dyed weavings and mixed media works, many of which incorporate embroidery and other stitch work, painting, and collage techniques. Three works from the center's collection will be included in the exhibition; two were given by the artist in honor of former directors Edna M. Lindemann and Anthony Bannon.
Ms. Belfer has an M.F.A. from the School for American Craftsmen at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She taught weaving and related fiber techniques at Buffalo State College for more than thirty years. In 1982 she was honored with the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching. Her work has been included in numerous juried and invitational exhibitions throughout the country at venues that include the Downey Art Museum in Downey, California; the Museum of Contemporary Craft in New York City; the Greenville County Museum of Art in Greenville, South Carolina; and the Chautauqua Center for the Visual Arts in Chautauqua, New York. She is represented in many public, corporate, and private collections and is the author of three books and many articles on various historical and technical aspects of textiles. Ms. Belfer's textiles have been featured in publications including Objects:USA, published by the Smithsonian Institution, and several editions of Fiberarts Design Book. She is listed in Who's Who of American Women and has received fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts and the SUNY Research Foundation. Her work was selected in 1988 for the Arts in Embassies program of the U.S. State Department.
Ms. Belfer's work has undergone significant changes over the years. This exhibition explores these transformations and investigates the commonalities existing in works from different phases of her career. In the 1980s she was well known for her exquisite woven vertical wall panels, which were created using an ancient dying technique called ikat. In the two series of work that followed, Nazca Jouney and Odyssey, Ms. Belfer stitched together sections of her woven panels and used them as a background for embroidered, painted, and applied fabric designs. The artist drew inspiration for these series from the intricate patterning of early Peruvian textiles. These works led the way to Ms. Belfer's current exploration of three-dimensional works. The exhibition includes examples of her recent shield-shaped fiber wall assemblages and freestanding sculptural container forms. Ms. Belfer's recent work is also represented by a selection of her mixed media collage/paintings that incorporate textured elfer: Textile Art is made possible by funds from the Sylvia L. Rosen Endowment and the Margaret E. Mead Endowment. It is being organized by Gerald Mead, curator of education and outreach at the Burchfield-Penney. Nancy Weekly, head of collections and the Charles Cary Rumsey Curator, contributed the exhibition brochure essay.
Images of works in the exhibition and interviews with Ms. Belfer or curatorial staff from the Burchfield-Penney are available by request.
Media Contact:
Lisa Kane, Public Relations Manager, Burchfield-Penney | 7168784529 | kanelm@buffalostate.edu