Utica, N.Y. — Don’t miss this summer’s enchanting exhibition, “Watercolor Stories: Art of Charles E. Burchfield,” rarely seen examples of the artist’s vibrant works on paper, now in its final weeks at Munson in downtown Utica, N.Y., closing Sept. 13.
Nature comes alive in “Watercolor Stories,” which depicts the fantastical world of Burchfield’s imagination. An artist with a sensitivity to all aspects of the natural world, he focused on sites of emotional connection largely in Ohio and Western New York that inspired him throughout his life, turning his emotions into dynamic images of the power and beauty of nature. 
Taking inspiration from the work of American philosopher and naturalist Henry David Thoreau, Burchfield was also a prolific writer, chronicling thoughts on life, nature, and his own artwork in both personal journals and letters to family and friends.
Because of Munson benefactor Edward Root’s sustained interest in Burchfield’s work, which he gave to Munson after his death, the Museum of Art owns artwork from several different stylistic phases of Burchfield’s career. His artistic development can be seen from early watercolor scenes filled with emotional intensity to more mature works transforming ordinary subjects into mystical experiences.
“Munson is fortunate to own such a remarkable collection of Burchfield’s provocative watercolors,” says Stephen Harrison, Munson Director and Chief Curator. “These works are rarely shown in order to prevent them from fading. As a result, they are as vibrant and mesmerizing as the day they were painted.”
The exhibition is accompanied by the publication “Poetic Passages: Charles E. Burchfield and Edward W. Root in Art and Letters,” co-published by Munson and the Burchfield Penney Art Center in Buffalo. The book reproduces for the first time the complete set of transcribed letters that Burchfield sent to the Roots, along with images of Burchfield’s works in Munson’s collection. “Poetic Passages” is available in the Munson Museum Shop.
Admission for “Watercolor Stories: Art of Charles E. Burchfield” is $8 for the general public and free for Munson Members. Tours are available at 1 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and are $5 for the general public and free for Munson Members and children 12 and under. Plan your next visit at munson.art.
The exhibition is co-organized by Munson and the Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State University.
Lead Sponsors: Andrew Britton and David Grey; Christian and Cheryl Heilmann; and
Elizabeth R. Lemieux, Ph.D. Sponsors: Joseph A. Abraham; Cheryl and Fred Haritatos; Pike Construction Services; Alan Vincent, in memory of Linda Vincent; and Laura and Todd Wetzel MD.
For more information, visit munson.art.
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Munson is at 310 Genesee St. in Utica. For more information, visit munson.art.
About Munson
Munson is an internationally recognized fine arts organization in Utica, serving diverse audiences through the renowned Munson Museum of Art, live performances and events, community arts classes, and Pratt Munson College of Art and Design, the upstate extension campus of the prestigious Pratt Institute.
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