The Burchfield Penney Arts Center, located on the campus of Buffalo State University, is an incredibly special museum in Buffalo. Scott Propeack, executive director hopes that visitors understand just how unique and special the center is. “I hope that people realize that this really is their museum… My hope always for this institution is that people always feel welcome. That they feel like they can produce things with us and that together we can actually provide bridges throughout the different communities that exist within our region.”
The Burchfield Penney Arts Center houses an extensive collection of artwork by artist Charles E. Burchfield, and hosts rotating exhibitions of regional artists that feature a wide range of artistic styles and mediums, and provides visitors with a diverse and enriching cultural experience. Currently on view is an exhibition that does just this: Art in Craft Media 2023.
The Art in Craft Media Exhibition occurs every two years, and was based on the vision of the late ceramic artist Sylvia L Rosen. “Sylvia, along with her husband Nate, established an endowment with the intention of having a biennial exhibition where we would always at least every two years, celebrate craft art and what was evolving in the medium, ” shared Propeack. “And so that has expanded from the time that she started it. She provided the format for us to actually present the exhibitions, but at the same time she understood that over the years, the way that people work with and identify as craft artists would shift.” adding:
And so it originally started with the idea of people working in ceramic, wood, fiber, metal and glass. The five primary mediums of craft art. But honestly, I think that there’s also a big part of the conversation that is people making things by hand.
At times, the work of craft artists can be overlooked for mediums of art and expression that one might more readily think of being on display in a museum, like painting and sculpture. This exhibition seeks to bring awareness, recognition, and appreciation for the work of craft artists.
In addition, attending the Art in Craft Media exhibition can help expand a visitor’s notion of what constitutes “art.” “Instead of trying to look at the way that craft is informed by fine art and traditional definitions of fine art, I’ve started to look at other media types, and I was thinking about film and how a filmmaker could be a craftsman. They could actually [also] be a cameraman. They could be an editor. They can be a sound technician and they can actually fully possess the work that they create. Or when I look at painting, sometimes I think about the way that the material choices that the painter uses, and how they build up their surface, and how they’re thinking of it not just as a flat surface, but [how] dimensionality within the work is different. So I’ve flipped my consideration of how these things get applied to craft and instead started to look at other works and what is craftsmanship like in the work that they are creating.”
Art in Craft Media will remain on view through March 10, 2024, when a closing Reception will be held from 2-4 pm. Public is invited to attend.
Artist award announcements are coming soon. Be Sure to follow Burchfield Penney to receive the annoucement. Exhibition catalogs are now available in the store.
