Burchfield Penney Art Center and Seneca-Iroquois National Museum Present Kindred

Inaugural Burchfield Penney Off Center Exhibition at K Art with support from the City of Buffalo, M&T Bank, and David Kimelberg

Opening Celebration December 13, 2025, 2:00 p.m.

Buffalo, NY — December 3, 2025— The Burchfield Penney Art Center proudly announces the opening of Kindred: Works from the Burchfield Penney Art Center and Seneca-Iroquois National Museum Collections. This collaborative exhibition marks the debut of Burchfield Penney Off Center at K Art, the first site of the museum’s new Off Center initiative.

The public is invited to a free Opening Celebration on December 13, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. in the reimagined space at 808 Main Street in Buffalo.

Burchfield Penney Off Center is a new initiative designed to build cultural partnerships and bring collaboratively designed exhibitions directly into Western New York communities. Following the opening celebration, the first Off Center exhibition at K Art will be open Thursdays through Saturdays from 1 PM to 5 PM, with free admission for all. Kindred will remain on view through July 26, 2026.

About the Exhibition

Kindred highlights storytelling and the transfer of traditions across generations — foundational elements of Indigenous culture. Featuring selected works from both the Burchfield Penney and the Seneca-Iroquois National Museum (SINM) collections, the exhibition explores how artists preserve, reinterpret, and evolve cultural practices through their creative work.

“I’m extremely thankful that we can utilize the beautiful former K Art space to bring more Native art and programs to the Native community in the city of Buffalo. This partnership with the Burchfield Penney Art Center will create meaningful cultural exchanges for the Native community, the public, and art enthusiasts,” says Onöhsagwë:de’ Cultural Center Director, Hayden Haynes.

“I’m so excited to collaborate with the Seneca Iroquois National Museum and looking forward to the ways that this partnership can grow and inspire future exhibitions and programming,” says Burchfield Penney Curator Tiffany Gaines.

About Burchfield Penney Off Center

Burchfield Penney Off Center is a new initiative that brings artwork from community partners and the Burchfield Penney Collection into spaces across Western New York — expanding the museum’s presence beyond its Elmwood Avenue home and into the places where people live, gather, and create.

Each new Off Center location will serve as a site for co-created exhibitions and public programs developed alongside community partners, with the aim of developing Off Center spaces in all eight counties of the region.

“The goal of Burchfield Penney Off Center is to ensure that residents across the region have access and agency to shape art and cultural experiences, and that community partners are recognized as vital cultural producers,” says Burchfield Penney Executive Director Scott Propeack. “By meeting people where they are, Off Center advances the museum’s vision: a Western New York where everyone is inspired to explore, enjoy, and create art.”

This initiative is made possible with generous support from the City of Buffalo, M&T Bank, and David Kimelberg.

"At M&T Bank, we recognize that an investment in the arts is an investment in the strength and vitality of our community,” says M&T Charitable Foundation Regional Manager Don Elick. “The Kindred exhibition and the Burchfield Penney Art Center’s Off Center initiative reflect the power of cultural collaboration — honoring Indigenous traditions while creating new opportunities for dialogue and connection. We’re proud to support the Burchfield Penney Art Center and the Seneca-Iroquois National Museum in bringing this important work to Buffalo, and we look forward to the ways it will inspire our region."

ABOUT THE SENECA-IROQUOIS NATIONAL MUSEUM
With a proud and rich history, the Seneca were the largest of six Native American nations which comprised the Iroquois Confederacy or Six Nations, a democratic government that pre-dates the United States Constitution.

The Seneca Nation of Indians currently has a total enrolled population of nearly 8,000 citizens. The territories are generally rural, with several residential areas. Many Seneca citizens live off-territory, some are located across the country, as well as in other countries. Off-territory residents comprise nearly 1/2 of the citizenship.

The Seneca are also known as the "Keeper of the Western Door," for the Seneca are the westernmost of the Six Nations.  At the time of the formation of the Iroquois League, the original five nations of the Iroquois League occupied large areas of land in the Northeast USA and Southeast Canada.

The Seneca-Iroquois National Museum proudly houses an extensive collection of Hodínöhšö:ni:h historical and traditionally designed decorative and every-day-use items and archaeological artifacts. SINM, along with the Seneca Nation Archives Department, are the safe keepers of historical documents, including articles, special publications, historical and family photographs and various multi-media productions regarding the Onöndowa’ga:’ and Hodínöhšö:ni:h.

ABOUT THE BURCHFIELD PENNEY ART CENTER 

Established in 1966 on the campus of SUNY Buffalo State University, the Burchfield Penney Art Center is the museum dedicated to the art and vision of Charles E. Burchfield and the art and artists of Buffalo, NY, and our region.

The Burchfield Penney Art Center’s programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. The Burchfield Penney receives generous public support from SUNY Buffalo State University, Erie County, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the City of Buffalo. Private support is provided by The Cameron and Jane Baird Foundation, the Cullen Foundation, the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, M&T Bank, The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation, the Joy Family Foundation, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Designated Inclusive Arts and Culture Organizations Endowment Fund, a component fund of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, Inc., Elizabeth Elser Doolittle Trust, the Mary A. H. Rumsey Foundation, the James Carey Evans Endowment, and many additional individuals, corporations, foundations, and Burchfield Penney members. The Burchfield Penney Art Center is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

ABOUT M&T

M&T is a financial holding company headquartered in Buffalo, New York. M&T's principal banking subsidiary, M&T Bank, provides banking products and services with a branch and ATM network spanning the eastern U.S. from Maine to Virginia and Washington, D.C. Trust-related services are provided in select markets in the U.S. and abroad by M&T's Wilmington Trust-affiliated companies and by M&T Bank. For more information about M&T Bank, visit www.mtb.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Julia Norris
Director of Communications
Burchfield Penney Art Center
norrisjl[at]buffalostate.edu