The Writings & Paintings of Charles Burchfield

Chautauqua Institution Artistic Director Don Kimes has partnered with Anthony Bannon, PhD, Executive Director at the Burchfield Penney Art Center at SUNY Buffalo State to organize an exhibition of works by internationally recognized artist Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967). The first Chautauqua National Exhibition, held at McKnight Music Hall in 1952 (prior to the establishment of a permanent visual arts gallery) became the prototype for what is now the Chautauqua Annual Exhibition of Contemporary Art. A number of important artists where included in that exhibition, including Charles Burchfield.

According to artist's friend and colleague Edward Hopper, "The work of Charles Burchfield is most decidedly founded, not on art, but on life, and the life that he knows and loves best." Burchfield is one of America's most original artists. Best known for his romantic, often fantastic depictions of nature, he developed a unique style of watercolor painting that reflected distinctly American subjects and his profound respect for nature. By 1930 the artist’s work was the subject of the first one-person exhibition at the newly established Museum of Modern Art in New York City. In 1936 Life magazine declared him one of America’s ten greatest painters. He continued to gain acclaim through inclusion in prestigious national exhibitions, and received numerous awards. President Lyndon B. Johnson eulogized the artist in a letter dated November 14, 1967, writing "He was artist to America."

Today, significant collections of works by Burchfield are found the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, The Museum of Modern Art, The Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Munson Williams Procotor Arts Institute and many more. He has been an influence on countless contemporary artists. The Burchfield Penney Art Center holds the largest public collection of artworks by Charles E. Burchfield as well as the most comprehensive archives relating to his life and career.

The Chautauqua Institution is pleased to present The Writings and Paintings of Charles E. Burchfield, curated by Tullis Johnson, Curator and Manager of Archives at the Burchfield Penney Art Center. Throughout his career, Burchfield’s moods, ideas and personal critiques were recorded on thousands of pieces of paper, in studies for paintings and in his journals. In this exhibition Burchfield speaks for himself through these insightful epigrams and developmental sketches with related masterworks from The Center’s collection.

This exhibition would not be possible without the generosity and friendships of Gary and Willow Brost and Rita Argen Auerbach, whose dedication to both the Burchfield Penney Art Center and the Chautauqua Institution has made this collaborative effort possible.