Due to her artistic fervor and leadership on a national and international scale, Agnes Gund was awarded the Institute’s Medal for Excellence at the 17th annual Charles E. Burchfield ’16 Society Dinner in November 2004 (shown here with David L. Deming). She is recognized internationally as a philanthropist, collector and ardent supporter of the arts and individual artists.

The award recognizes those who have made significant contributions to the arts through their own artistic pursuit or through their service and philanthropy.

It was during his years of study at The Cleveland Institute of Art, then known as The Cleveland School of Art, that Burchfield developed the expressive style that would become his hallmark. His own experiences here reflect the school's focus on mentoring, challenging and providing the opportunities that allow each of our students to fulfill his/her potential in the visual arts. Burchfield wrote the following as he reminisced about his experience as a student at the Institute:

One of the most significant things a teacher can do for his students is to arouse their curiosity, not only about the art of painting...but also about the other arts, and life in general.

Even though the facilities of The Cleveland Institute of Art are far different than in Charles Burchfield's days, our fundamental mission remains unchanged. The cutting-edge technological tools that our students now master, from digital animation to computer-aided modeling, are a reflection of the Institute's commitment to ensuring that our graduates are fully prepared to meet the demands of a rapidly changing artistic marketplace. The caliber of our faculty is unparalleled. The many recognized and accomplished artists and designers who teach at the Institute provide each of our students with the knowledge, expertise and confidence they need to succeed in the 21st century.

The Charles E. Burchfield '16 Society

Charles Burchfield rose to prominence as a leading landscape painter, whose works reveal a unique sensitivity to the natural world in all its features–visual, audible, and experiential. The Cleveland Institute of Art's Charles E. Burchfield '16 Society honors those individuals, corporations and foundations that have demonstrated their leadership and commitment to the Institute by donating $1,000 or more to the Annual Fund. Created in 1987, the society was named for one of the 20th century's most notable American artists, and one of the Institute's best-known graduates. Gifts to the Burchfield Society help insure that The Cleveland Institute of Art continues to provide the outstanding opportunities for learning that have distinguished it since 1882.

Nurture the Charles Burchfields of today and tomorrow by making a gift now.