On September 11, 2009, an Orange County artist passed away. Photographer, and Educator Jerry Burchfield died of colon cancer. He was a member of the Legacy Project, and taught at Cypress College, Saddleback College, and Orange Coast College. His amazing career includes documenting the El Toro Marine Base, saving Laguna Canyon, and establishing a successful gallery-he put the B in BC Space.
Burchfield’s work in the OC art scene never ceased as he was battling illness. Two upcoming exhibitions-which Burchfield worked on until his recent death-illustrate his passion for not only creating his own art but supporting other artists as well.
In February, the Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana, CA. will host a group exhibit highlighting over 30 years of exhibitions and performances by the BC Space Gallery in Laguna Beach, CA. Established by Mark Chamberlin and Jerry Burchfield in 1973, BC Space is the oldest established gallery in Orange County. Located in Laguna Beach, the space began as a facility for developing high quality photographs; it quickly morphed into the first venue in Southern California to feature fine art photography. Over the years, the exhibitions evolved to represent a range of media and became increasingly political in scope: addressing national, international, and local issues. For example, The Laguna Canyon Project garnered national media attention, involved thousands of Southern California residence, and ultimately saved the canyon from development.
More recently, Biola University will honor Burchfield with A Tribute to the Life & Art of Jerry Burchfield. What was originally meant to be an exhibition focusing on the relationship between man and nature, quickly turned into a retrospective of Burchfield’s work. The exhibition opens Tuesday, September 22, 2009, with a reception from 7-10pm. The following week, Tuesday, September 29, 2009 a memorial will be held in the Mayers Auditorium where family and friends can attend and speak.
