Wet & Fresh: A Survey of Current Watercolor in Western New York

Charles E. Burchfield was renowned for his unique mastery of watercolor painting, effecting generations of artists and establishing national respect for the medium. This exhibition, the first of its kind at the Burchfield Penney, demonstrated how artists from our region use watercolor. Burchfield Penney staff and watercolorist Rita Argen Auerbach selected work by artists, illustrators and designers to explore the range of styles, approaches and applications of watercolor. The work ran the gamut from photo-realism to abstraction and features the talents of prominent practitioners in the field as well as emerging artists. This survey of work by 22 painters and illustrators included Lorna Berlin, Philip Burke, Cannon Design, Charles Clough, Thomas Aquinas Daly, Pat Fortunato, Walter Garver, Dianne Hickerson, Robert John Holland, Ani Hoover, Yenfen Huang, Margaret M. Martin, costume designer Catherine Norgren, Joseph Orffeo, Catherine Parker, David Pratt, Evette Slaughter, Alma Slotkin, Arthur E. Smith, E. Jane Stoddard, Joseph Whalen, and Carol Woodin.

M. Stephen Doherty, editor-in-chief of American Artist and Watercolor magazines, was the essayist for the exhibition catalog. Programming included a lecture by Doherty, a panel discussion on watercolor techniques, family workshops, co-curator-led tour, and demonstrations.