New Exhibitions Highlight the Breadth of the Burchfield Penney’s Mission

Buffalo, NY — On M&T Second Friday, November 8, 2024, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m., the Burchfield Penney Art Center presents a rich tapestry of new exhibitions and programs that celebrate the breadth of Western New York’s cultural heritage and artistic vitality. Through a vibrant mix of historic and contemporary works, Tracing Threads Through Time: The Artwork of William C. Maggio, Wilhelmina Godfrey: I am what I am, and A Grammar of Animacy: Charles E. Burchfield & Mike Glier highlight the contributions of influential artists from the region, and underscore connections to national conversations. Alongside the exhibition openings, a special screening and panel discussion, Tales from the Porch Part IV: Art is a Language will take place in the auditorium. Visitors are invited to participate in all-ages artmaking in the Useum Studio and enjoy a beverage from the pop-up bar in the second-floor Reception Space. Thanks to the generous support of M&T Bank, admission is free on the second Friday of each month.

Tracing Threads Through Time: The Artwork of William C. Maggio
William C. Maggio is a lifelong resident of Western New York. As an artist, educator and musician, his creative influence is a thread that can be traced through time, connecting generations of people. His artwork is a visual journey inward toward the core of the human soul. This is the first comprehensive exhibition to feature works in all stages of Maggio's career.

Wilhelmina Godfrey: I am what I am
Born in 1914 in Philadelphia and raised in Buffalo, Wilhelmina Godfrey was an artist of exceptional skill and vision, working in media including painting, printmaking, and textiles. Over the course of her more than fifty-year career, her work continuously evolved. This retrospective exhibition honors her contributions as an artist, writer, and educator, and her legacy within the local arts and African American communities.

A Grammar of Animacy: Charles E. Burchfield & Mike Glier
This exhibition represents the culmination of Mike Glier’s residency at the Burchfield Penney, which began in 2022 with a deep dive into the work of Charles E. Burchfield and the Center’s archives. The resulting exhibition explores how both artists infuse observational painting with abstraction to convey a multi-sensory experience of nature.  

Screening & Panel Discussion: Tales from the Porch Part IV: Art is a Language
In addition to the exhibition openings, visitors are invited to attend Tales from the Porch Part IV: Art is a Language from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the auditorium. This interactive event will feature performances, a screening, and a panel discussion that delves into art as a powerful form of communication. The discussion will include artists who make artistic appearances within the documentary: Robert “CarolinahBlu” Herrod, Mama Gey, Gaitrie Subryan, and Kaitlyn Lowe, moderated by Aitina Fareed-Cooke. The film features Buffalo artists Julia Bottoms, Bob Fleming, George Hughes, Phyllis Thompson, and Muhammad Zaman.

Burchfield Penney Members are invited to preview the exhibitions on Thursday, November 7, 2024, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. The exhibitions will remain on view through March 2025. Stunning companion publications will be available for purchase in The Museum Store. For more information, visit www.burchfieldpenney.org.

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SUPPORT FOR THE EXHIBITIONS

Tracing Threads through Time: The Artwork of William C. Maggio is presented by M&T Bank and The Mulroy Family Foundation and James & Michal Wadsworth. For their leadership support, we gratefully acknowledge the Maggio Family, John & Candace Darby, Eric Reich, and The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation. Additional support comes from Aleron, Frank & Leah Ewing, John Gavigan, Mark Goldman, David & Eva Herer, Peter & Mary Jo Hunt, ICM Controls Corporation, Frank & Tracy Mendicino, KeyBank, Lippes Mathias LLP, Jordan & Holly Levy, Lorraine Capital, Samuel & Kristen Russo, and Ron Schrieber.

Wilhelmina Godfrey: I am what I am is presented through the generosity of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. For their leadership gifts, we gratefully recognize Bank of America and an Anonymous Foundation. Special thanks also go out to James & Dorothy Pappas and Lynne Stenclik Finn & Broadleaf for their additional generous support.

A Grammar of Animacy: Charles E. Burchfield & Mike Glier is presented through the generous support of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation. For their meaningful support in memory of Harriet and Mortimer Spiller, we gratefully acknowledge Lora Spiller, Jill Underwood, and Harley Spiller. Additional support comes from The W.L.S. Spencer Foundation, The Cameron and Jane Baird Foundation, Claudia Sloan, the Avis Charitable Fund, and AG Rosen. The support of these sponsors allows us to create exhibitions with publications that enrich our understanding of Burchfield’s art.

We are grateful for the generosity of many anonymous individuals who lent art for the exhibition, and acknowledge the loans from DC Moore Gallery in New York, Downing Yudain in North Stamford, CT, Krakow Witkin Gallery in Boston, the Young Sloan Collection, and Gabriella Ojeda-Badillo and Benjamin Schwartz. Special thanks go to Mike Glier, whose creativity and intellectual curiosity permeate the thought-provoking themes that comprise the exhibition.

ABOUT THE BURCHFIELD PENNEY ART CENTER  

Established in 1966 on the campus of SUNY Buffalo State, the Burchfield Penney Art Center is dedicated to the art and vision of renowned American artist Charles E. Burchfield (1893–1967) and the art and artists of Buffalo and our region. Learn more at burchfieldpenney.org. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: Julia Norris 

Director of Communications

norrisjl[at]buffalostate.edu 

716 878 3457