The Burchfield Penney Art Center features 16 galleries and display areas in 19,000 square feet of space, each one with its own unique purpose and feel.

ANTHONY J. SISTI GALLERY
The Anthony J. Sisti Gallery is named in honor of the artist and donor. Sisti’s career included boxing, painting, teaching, and dealing art from his own commercial gallery in Buffalo’s Allentown neighborhood. In 1979, he donated 33 works by Charles E. Burchfield and 32 of his own paintings and drawings to our museum.

CHARLES CARY RUMSEY GALLERY
The Charles Cary Rumsey Gallery is named for sculptor Charles Cary Rumsey (1879-1922). This gallery features sculpture and three-dimensional works of art, thanks to the support of the Charles Cary Rumsey Endowment.

Rumsey's relatives derived their wealth from tanning and railroad businesses, and some became sculptors. The artistic Cary family included George Cary, an architect who designed the New York State pavilion for the Pan-American Exposition of 1901 (now occupied by the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society), and painters Evelyn Rumsey Cary, his aunt, and Evelyn Rumsey Lord, his sister.  Trained in the Beaux-Arts tradition in Paris and Boston, Charles Cary Rumsey worked in stone and bronze and secured several public commissions including the frieze on the Manhattan Bridge in New York City (1916).  He was developing an Art Deco approach before his untimely death in an automobile accident.

CHARLES E. BURCHFIELD ROTUNDA
In honoring Burchfield's wish, the intimate Burchfield Rotunda always presents works by the artist. The artist wrote in his journals: "A note to Posterity—What I want is a circular museum, large enough to house these four season transitions..." (December 10, 1964).  

CHARLES E. BURCHFIELD'S GARDENVILLE STUDIO
A permanent evocation of Charles E. Burchfield’s Gardenville Studio. It is positioned adjacent to the galleries that are dedicated to his artwork in order to provide insight into his private working environment and process. Visitors may see inspirational objects, such as his stuffed snowy owl and samples of birch bark, situated within the modest front room lined with plywood shelves where he stored thousands of studies. In addition, they can learn about the unorthodox techniques that Burchfield used to create his own style which diverged dramatically from traditional watercolor painting methods. 

Objects on view include generous donations made by Joan Albarella, Mrs. John Albarella, The Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, Peggy Richter Haug, Hyatt’s-All Things Creative, Edna M. Lindemann, David Pratt, Hank Sontag and Horsefeathers Architectural Antiques, Harriet and Mortimer Spiller, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph R. Takats, Harold F. Truppner, Edward J. Wozniak, and an anonymous donor.

COLLECTION STUDY GALLERY
The Collection Study Gallery provides context, insight, and depth to the exhibitions on view in the galleries and the permanent collection of the Burchfield Penney. 

The Collection Study Gallery is available for academic research related to the museum's collection.

CORRIDOR GALLERY
Supported by the generosity of Robert and Mary Ann Budin, the Corridor Gallery presents works as intimate exhibitions or as an extension of adjacent presentations.

DISPLAY CASES
Supported by Annette Cravens and Cindy Abbott Letro and Francis Letro, the Display Cases present three-dimensional and small scale works.

Art in the Display Cases often presents objects which complement works in other galleries, items which contextualize other exhibitions as well as stand-alone presentations.

EAST GALLERY
The Burchfield Penney's expansive, two-story East Gallery is the museum's largest, and one of the largest gallery spaces in the Northeastern United States. The gallery measures 148 x 48 feet with a ceiling height of 28 feet for a total of 6,700 square feet. Designed for flexibility, the Gallery can be filled with natural light or completely free of light when necessary for the preservation of artwork. See an aerial view of the East Gallery (2014) courtesy of Google Maps by clicking here.

ENTRANCE GALLERY
The Entrance Gallery is a flexible gallery which both introduces and provides context to the East Gallery exhibition or to host concise individual exhibitions. 

FRONT YARD
Greeting the community on the Elmwood Avenue side of our building is the Front Yard at the Center—the world’s first permanent, environmentally-responsive, 24/7/365, outdoor audio and image experience. Incorporating art in all that we do, the sweeping zinc facade of the Burchfield Penney Art Center is a gallery for media art. 

Artist Brian Milbrand and architect Brad Wales envisioned the transformation of the Burchfield Penney Art Center’s exterior into a backdrop for audio and image, turning the traditional notion of a gallery inside out. They imagined art curated—created even—by the seasons, the weather, the passage of time. 

Learn more at www.BurchfieldPenney.org/FrontYard.

JOHN R. OISHEI FOUNDATION GALLERY
The John R. Oishei Foundation’s mission states that it “strives to be a catalyst for change to enhance economic vitality and the quality of life for the Buffalo Niagara region.” The greater Buffalo community has benefitted from Oishei Foundation support for arts and cultural institutions as well as medical research, healthcare, and education. The John R. Oishei Foundation name proudly adorns the major exhibition space dedicated to the museum’s namesake, Charles E. Burchfield.

MARGARET L. WENDT GALLERY
The Margaret L. Wendt Gallery is a showcase for a variety of work, primarily with an historic focus. Named in honor of the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation and its support of the campaign to build the new Burchfield Penney.

R. WILLIAM DOOLITTLE GALLERY
Named for R. William Doolitte, the Doolittle Gallery features work by solo artists, photography (a love of Mr. Doolittle, who passed away in 2004), and historic works.

SYLVIA L. ROSEN GALLERY FOR FINE ART IN CRAFT MEDIA
Supported by the Sylvia L. Rosen Endowment for Fine Art in Craft Media, the Rosen Gallery presents work by artists skilled in craft media (including wood, metal, fiber, clay and glass).

THE GRAND FOYER
Both a point of entry and transition, the Grand Foyer is used broadly for unique large-scale works, to highlight recent acquisitions, and to pay tribute to individual artists. 

THE PROJECT SPACE
A unique gallery in the Burchfield Penney, the Project Space is a state-of-the-art installation gallery for three-dimensional and multi-media installations. 

A transformative gallery, the Project Space incorporates state of the art technology allowing for a variety of multi-media presentations. Its ceiling height is variable thanks to the use of mobile theater rigging for lighting systems, suspension of objects, and multiple projections.

WEST END GALLERY
Adjacent to our archives the West End Gallery celebrates the Center’s archival holdings, community arts groups, our work with museum studies students, and rarely seen works in the permanent collection.

This gallery was developed in the summer of 2015 through the collaborative efforts and vision of the Burchfield Penney Art Center’s curatorial staff, with a great deal of help from our interns.