CATHERINE PARKER ESTATE RELEASES RARE ARTWORKS
Follow-up to hugely successful 2012 exhibition

Buffalo, NY—From October 2 through October 26, 2013, Muleskinner Antiques in Williamsville, NY will host "Catherine Parker: California (1975-1981)," an exhibit and sale, featuring the beloved watercolor artist's paintings from a significant and lesser-known period of artistic development.

Dean Brownrout Modern/Contemporary represents the estate of Catherine Burchfield Parker. The show is presented in association with Muleskinner Antiques. 

"I'm pleased to present this show," said Parker's agent, Dean Brownrout. "It will be a fun event. Based on the success of last year's sold-out exhibit of Catherine's recently discovered early works, her family chose to release these mid-career artworks. These pieces showcase the important personal and artistic period prior to her return to Western New York in the early '80s." 

Catherine Parker (1926-2012) was born in Western New York. (Her father was noted watercolorist Charles E. Burchfield.) At age 21 she moved to Missouri, where she studied painting at the Kansas City Art Institute. 

In 1950, she married fellow student Kenneth Parker. Between 1951 and 1957, they had three children. During that period, they moved several times, living in Denver and Amarillo. At the time, Parker was painting and exhibiting, but not feeling connected to it. Around 1967, she stopped painting, and didn't paint again for eight years. 

Her marriage to Parker ended in 1975. "It might seem cliche, but, as a divorced single mother, I moved to Santa Cruz," said Parker in a 2010 interview. The move to California, and its landscapes, reignited her passion for painting.

Brownrout added, "The artworks in this show present an artist and woman of the 1970s, seeking to establish her identity. After a lifetime of living with the Burchfield and Parker names, we see her redefining herself in a new geography. Many of the paintings from the California period are simply signed 'Catherine.'" 

"The works in this show have never been exhibited," said Brownrout. "Most fans of Parker's art are familiar with the style and progression of the pieces she created while living in Buffalo. With last year's show, people saw her student and early work. This exhibit provides the final puzzle piece in her artistic timeline." 

Event: "Catherine Parker: California (1975-1981)," October 2-26, 2013
Location: Muleskinner Antiques, 5548 Main St., Williamsville, NY 14221. (716) 633-4077
Exhibit/sale hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.