The Entrance Gallery is the first space visitors enter before exploring other galleries devoted to Charles E. Burchfield and both historic and contemporary Western New York art. Selections in this gallery illustrate the Burchfield Penney Art Center’s commitment to orient visitors to the museum.

What is Western New York Art? It is as diverse as the artists who live and work in the region, as well as those who have spent some portion of their lives in Western New York. Thus, an artist could be born in Buffalo, such as Susan Rothenberg, but develop her artistic career after she moved away. Or an artist could be born elsewhere, such as Charles Burchfield, and then come to Buffalo for a job and make Gardenville his home for the rest of his life. Or an artist might come for school, such as Cindy Sherman, who studied at Buffalo State College, co-founded Hallwalls, and launched her artistic career, eventually rising to international fame after moving downstate to New York City. While the majority of historically significant Western New York artists have lived only a portion of their lives in the area, many have merited national and international recognition. The Burchfield Penney Art Center’s art collection attempts to represent superlative artists from all periods, working in any media to communicate the uniqueness of their vision.