The Burchfield Penney Art Center today announced it has been awarded a $135,000 grant by the John R. Oishei Foundation to support its Arts Legacy Project (ALP), launched in 2012 as a research resource and database which will enhance the Center’s online presence by celebrating the legacies of regional artists and arts institutions.
The ALP continues to expand to include new artists, institutions and movements which played important roles in shaping this area’s vibrant arts community. Members of the 2012 ALP Class included Tony Conrad, Christine Daly, Ron Ehmke, Hillary Fayle, A.J. Fries, Adele Henderson, Tom Holt, Bethany Krull, Julian Montague, Esther Neisen, Joe Orffeo, Alberto Rey, Sylvia L. Rosen, Jason Seeley and William West. Profiles and audio recorded interviews are posted on the Center’s web site.
”This engagement with our community, both past and present, represents our dedication to a cultural practice,” says Scott Propeack, associate director and chief curator. “While recognizing our regional accomplishments it allows us to be an incubator for growing the art and artists of the future.”
Funds from the John R. Oishei Foundation grant will help to continue to document, preserve and increase accessibility to resources of enduring value to students, researchers and scholars. The project will also help the Center to understand better ways to record the legacies of living artists in the digital age.
“The significance of the Arts Legacy Project is immeasurable,” says Burchfield Penney executive director Anthony Bannon, Ph.D. “It adds context to our permanent collection by recording culture and history embedded in letters, slides, clippings and other biographic information. This generous John R. Oishei grant will help advance and disseminate our special collections and resources to researchers worldwide…we greatly appreciate their support.”
About the John R. Oishei Foundation
The John R. Oishei Foundation strives to be a catalyst for change to enhance the economic vitality and the quality of life for the Buffalo Niagara region. The Foundation was established in 1940 by John R. Oishei, founder of Trico Products Corporation.
About the Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State
Founded in 1966 on the campus of Buffalo State, the Burchfield Penney Art Center is dedicated to the art and vision of renowned American watercolorist Charles E. Burchfield (1893–1967) and the distinguished artists of Western New York state. In 2008, the Burchfield Penney expanded from its location in Rockwell Hall to a new $36 million freestanding facility in the heart of Buffalo’s Museum District. Designed by Gwathmey Siegel and Associates Architects, the museum includes more than 84,000 square feet dedicated primarily to galleries, as well as education and program space. It is home to the world’s largest collection of artwork and ephemera by Burchfield and a collection of more than 8,000 works by over 850 artists. The Burchfield Penney was the first LEED certified art museum in New York State and was featured by travel editors of the New York Times as one of the “44 Places to Go in 2009.”