BURCHFIELD 125 — Long before my time as editor of the West Seneca Bee, I was enchanted by the works of artist Charles Burchfield.
While attending Buffalo State College I had the extreme pleasure of working at the Burchfield Penney Art Center in the archives department. Here, I received not only a close-up of some of Burchfield’s lesser known works, but the works of many contemporary American artists.
“From a hilltop, I looked a while to the east, for sheer ecstasy. I heard but did not see a blue-bird, but in looking for it I saw the blue of a slate bank on a hillside; and I remembered then the blue clay I used to gather and play with as a boy. How it all became suddenly vivid — the raw gray days in March, the calls of blue-birds, the dripping water from ice covered banks.”
Charles E. Burchfield, a former Gardenville resident, wrote this on April 6, 1938. April 9 marks Burchfield’s 125th birthday.
To celebrate this milestone and honor his legacy, the Burchfield Penney is asking the Western New York cultural community and Burchfield enthusiasts across the country to come together and help preserve his legacy.
Starting on his birthday, Monday, April 9, the center launched a 125-hour crowdfunding campaign.
All funds raised will directly support Western New York artists through exhibitions, collections and programs at the center.
Honor Burchfield with a donation at any level, or help the center meet its goal of 125 donations of $125 in 125 hours. When you donate at the $125 level or more, you’ll receive a commemorative Charles Burchfield print as a token of appreciation.