The Burchfield Penney Art Center maintains and builds on an existing collection of artist files for over 8,000 Buffalo and regional artists and institutions, both past and present. Of these records, our most expansive content is focused on the artists in our permanent collection. This information includes letters, slides, clippings, other ephemera, and biographical information, and has been assembled through the direct donation of objects and information from family members and collectors.

• The most significant of these holdings are the archives of Charles E. Burchfield(1893-1967), which includes 10,000 pages of  journals, more than 20,000 pages of sketches and notes, and many personal artifacts. Other notable artist archives include:
• Artpark Archive: Over 200 boxes of textual, photographic, and audio/visual materials produced by Artpark, a NY State Park which supported avant-garde environmental land arts, world-class theater and musical performances, and hands-on art education
• Artists Committee of WNY: 6 boxes of textual materials produced by an artist-run collective gallery and advocacy group, active in the 1970’s and 1980’s.
• Wilhelmina Godfrey (dates): A comprehensive collection of color slides of Gofrey’s artworks, and an unpublished manuscript written by Godfrey about African-American Craftspeople. 
• Margaret M. Martin (1940-2012): sketchbooks by this prominent watercolor artist and educator which detail her artistic process and educational approach
• Milton Rogovin (1909-2010): Archival materials related to Rogovin’s photographic documentation process, personal life, video and audio interviews 
• Charles Cary Rumsey (1879-1922): Archival photographs and documentation on all of the works by the artist , including site images of works in the Harriman estate (40 of Rumsey's sculptures are in our collection).
• Paul Sharits (1943-1993): Files on the films and installation instructions of most of Sharits’ work
• Martha Visser't Hooft (1906-1994): 15 boxes of material original archival materials including photographs, letters and awards 
   

A more complete list of Archival Collections held by the Burchfield Penney Art Center Archives can be found on the Study Center page. 

How to Access the Archives

The Burchfield Penney Art Center holds vast archives including tens of thousands of clippings, journals, sketches, recordings, and other materials. There are numerous ways to access our archival material, including viewing it in the Collection Study Gallery and the Study Center or requesting assistance from our archival staff and professional researchers.   

Research Requests Policy and Procedure

The Burchfield Penney Art Center will conduct research, when possible, regarding artists and arts organizations of Western New York. After an initial review of our archival holdings, to ascertain the extent of material available, we will make a recommendation regarding what research is possible. After the initial review, the cost for research is $200 per hour. To inquire about Charles E. Burchfield, please email Nancy Weekly. To inquire about other Western New York-related arts topics, please email Heather Gring.

Archives Access Policy

The Archives at the Burchfield Penney Art Center contain significant (and in some cases, the most comprehensive) records on the arts and artists of the region. Public access is during weekday hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment only. Please email Heather Gring to schedule an appointment. Although the Archives are open to the public, priority is given to our membership when scheduling time in the Archives.