Charles Rand Penney

An avid collector and generous benefactor

Charles Rand Penney (1923-2010) donated his collection of Western New York Art to the then-named Burchfield Art Center at Buffalo State in 1991 and 1992. This collection includes art dating from 1895 to 1990 by many of the region’s most highly respected artists. In 1994 he presented his collections of works by Charles E. Burchfield, Roycroft artisans, and craft artists from Western New York, with documentary records and library materials on each. Possibly the most important element of this extraordinary gift was his collection of 183 works by Charles E. Burchfield, which had been the largest privately held. This marked a transitional period for the museum, adding significant depth and variety to the collections. On April 9, 1994 the Burchfield Art Center was re-dedicated as the Burchfield-Penney Art Center to honor Charles Rand Penney's patronage. In concert, Buffalo State College presented him with an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts in May, 1995.

Selects From The Charles Rand Penney Collection View All

Charles Rand Penney (1923-2010)  was an accomplished lawyer, seasoned traveler, and distinguished collector. 

Sharing his legacy

Through a life-long devotion to learning, Charles Rand Penney created more than 100 remarkable collections of art and cultural artifacts. These international collections, several of which toured around the world, include:

  • Contemporary painting and sculpture
  • Folk art
  • Antiques
  • World Exposition memorabilia
  • 20th-century American art by Charles E. Burchfield, Emil Ganso, and Robert Goodnough

Dr. Penney was born in 1923 in Buffalo, where he was educated at the Elmwood and Nichols Schools, and continued in Connecticut at the Hotchkiss School. He received a bachelor's degree from Yale University in 1945. During World War II, he served as a counter-intelligence officer for the U.S. Army. He graduated from the University of Virginia Law School in 1951.

In 1991 and 1992 Charles Rand Penney donated his collection of Western New York Art to the Burchfield Art Center. In 1994 he presented his collections of works by Charles E. Burchfield, Roycroft artists, and craft artists from Western New York, with documentary records and library materials on each. On April 9, 1994, the museum was rededicated as the Burchfield-Penney Art Center to honor his generous patronage. Buffalo State College presented him with an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts in May, 1995. During the course of his lifetime, Dr. Penney lectured about art and antiques across the United States and in more than 75 countries and regions as distant as Siberia, Mongolia, Indonesia, and Tahiti.

He passed away on August 1, 2010.

Between 1991 and 2001, Charles Rand Penney donated 1,485 artworks, decorative arts objects and books, plus vast related archives. These notable collections included works by Charles E. Burchfield, noted Western New York artists, craft artists of Western New York and Monroe County, and Roycroft artisans. The museum was renamed in honor of his patronage in 1994.

Contributions by year 

 

1991-1992
1. The Charles Rand Penney Collection of Western New York Art

163 works by 102 artists (145 works by 98 artists given in 1991, 18 works by 17 artists given in 1992)

2. Western New York Art Archives

4 legal-size cabinet drawers of files relating to donated WNY artworks
 

1994
1. The Charles Rand Penney Collection of Works by Charles E. Burchfield

183 works dating from 1907 to 1966-67

2. The Charles Rand Penney Collection of Craft Art

53 works by 20 artists

3. The Charles Rand Penney Collection of Works by Roycroft Artists:

401 objects and 568 books and magazines dating from 1908 to 1926

4. The Charles Rand Penney Archives Relating to Charles E. Burchfield:

5 drawers of legal-size cabinet of files relating to the acquisition of works in the collection, correspondence, records of exhibition history and loans, tour history of the collection by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, photographs, exhibition catalogues, and other documents1/3 drawer of letter-size cabinet contains James Goodman files relating to Burchfield works that had been de-accessioned in previous yearsBooks: 3 shelves, multiple copies of 20 titles, some signed by BurchfieldExhibition catalogues and other publications: multiple copies of 28 titles

5. The Charles Rand Penney Archives Relating to Craft Art:

1/2 drawer of legal-size cabinet relating to Wendell Castle1/2 drawer of legal-size cabinet relating to Albert Paley3-4 drawers of legal-size cabinet relating to craft artists, including correspondence, exhibition history and loans, photographs, and other documents

6. The Charles Rand Penney Archives Relating to Roycroft

3/4 drawer of letter-size cabinet relating to Roycroft objects, exhibition loans, etc
 

2000
1. Artwork by Charles E. Burchfield: Poplar Trees (January 1916)

Gift in honor and in memory of John I. H. Baur, friend of Charles E. Burchfield and friend of Charles Rand Penney, 2000:015.000

2. The Charles E. Burchfield Library

37 books and exhibition catalogues (multiple copies of most, many personally inscribed)· 11 journals, magazines and other publications (multiple copies of each)· Boxed collections of catalogues from 37 galleries· Photocopies of transcripts of 47 Burchfield journals
 

2001
The Charles Rand Penney Roycroft Collection at the Burchfield-Penney Art Center:

43 metal ware objects, 10 ceramic objects· 53 Roycroft Books and Paper; Books About Roycroft and Arts & Crafts· 2 other Roycroft objects· 6 Roycroft-related objects· Gustav Stickley, arm rocking chair, model # 311-1/2, circa 1912· Paul M. Knoblaugh, Table, 1992

Total: 1,485 objects and books, plus vast archives