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New York State Museum presents Charles E. Burchfield Weather Event

The New York State Museum presents Weather Event an exhibition on view through February 23, 2014.

Charles E. Burchfield Sunburst, 1929-31. Oil on canvas, 35 1/2 x 47 1/2 in. (Frame: 41 3/4 x 53 5/8 x 2 1/2 in.). The Charles Rand Penney Collection of Work by Charles E. Burchfield, 1994.
Charles E. Burchfield Sunburst, 1929-31. Oil on canvas, 35 1/2 x 47 1/2 in. (Frame: 41 3/4 x 53 5/8 x 2 1/2 in.). The Charles Rand Penney Collection of Work by Charles E. Burchfield, 1994.

Weather Event focuses on Charles E. Burchfield’s depictions of the weather south of Lake Erie, where the artist lived for most of his life. Individual weather events are examined through both an artistic and scientific lens.

Burchfield’s representations of weather, wind, skies and sounds are unique historical records of the environment near Lake Erie. In 1915, Burchfield made a series of sketches that show the changing weather and position of the sun over the course of several hours, which he called all-day sketches. Decades later, a 1950 journal entry recounts “The Day the Sun Disappeared over Western New York.” In these unique instances and others the visitor experiences the landscape through Burchfield’s eyes. This exhibition presents the dramatic and complex natural phenomenon chronicled in more than 50 years of Burchfield’s writings, drawings and paintings.

Further information about programs and events can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the Museum website at www.nysm.nysed.gov.