Hundreds of pieces of beautiful artwork produced by some very talented local artists, which had been hidden out of sight for years — and in some cases, decades — were recently discovered in two houses on Schultz Road in West Seneca. And thanks to two local art enthusiasts who could not bear to see the work destroyed or left to further deteriorate, some of the artwork of these “forgotten artists” will be on display for perhaps the first time ever during BurchFest 2025.
BurchFest, a celebration of the life and legacy of world-renowned artist Charles Burchfield and family, will take place on Saturday, Sept. 13, at multiple locations throughout West Seneca. The uncovered artwork will be on display at Western New York Federal Credit Union at 1937 Union Road from noon to 4 p.m. on Sept. 13, just around the corner from the Burchfield’s former home and studio on Clinton Street, in an exhibit called “Uncovered Treasures: Art from West Seneca’s Past.”
The first cache of artwork was pulled from a long vacant home at 184 Schultz Road, where former resident Marion S. Reitmeier practiced her artistic skills. That home was purchased from the Reitmeier estate by Elie and Diana Harfouche, who had also purchased Kloc’s Grove on Seneca Creek Road in October 2022. The Reitmeier property backs up to the southern end of the Kloc’s Grove property. Marion Reitmeier, who studied in New York City at the Art Students League, passed away in 2004.
Herb Graff painting. Top: Marion Reitmeier painting.
“Upon entering the home, we found that it was still completely full with the contents of the previous owners,” said Diana Harfouche. “It was very apparent that the property had been neglected for quite some time. As we went through the contents, we discovered a treasure of artwork created by Marion Reitmeier, along with pieces signed by another artist by the name of Herb Graff, and a couple of other artists as well. I knew that I did not want to throw away these precious pieces of art so I took them to my house in Clarence and have been pondering since then what to do with them.”
In the meantime, another nearby home at 80 Schultz Road was purchased from the Galley family, of Galley Florist fame, by Margaret Bebak, a member of the Greenan family that owns other properties along Schultz Road. There was an estate sale before closing but the house came with the remaining contents which included hundreds of pieces of art created by Jane Galley, as well as a wide variety of supplies such as frames, trays and saws that Jane used for her artwork.
Like Diana Harfouche, Tim Greenan (Margaret Bebak’s brother) couldn’t bear to see the artwork and accessories destroyed, so he moved them to a garage on his nearby property.
Jane Galley painting
“Jane Galley passed away in 2016, and her husband Warren sold the house when he was 100,” said Tim Greenan. “Jane painted religiously, every day, on everything from canvas to saw blades to dinner trays. So Warren collected all of those things for her, plus a variety of frames. When my sister bought the house, all of it had been left behind. Many people in West Seneca and the surrounding area have some of her original work hanging on their walls.”
“When I heard about these two collections being saved, I knew immediately that we had to make this part of BurchFest 2025,” said Joe Kirchmyer, executive director of the West Seneca Chamber of Commerce and one of the founders of the annual BurchFest event. “Fortunately, our partners at Western New York Federal Credit Union also saw the value of this unique collection of works and quickly offered to host the ‘Uncovered Treasures’ exhibit that will highlight the work of Marion Reitmeier, Herb Graff and Jane Galley.
“I can’t begin to thank the Harfouche, Bebak and Greenan families enough for saving these West Seneca treasures, and I can’t wait to see them on display after all these years,” Kirchmyer continued. “Some of the work appears to date back nearly 70 years! I’d say there’s a very good chance that these artists knew Charles Burchfield and/or his talented daughters, Martha Burchfield Richter and Catherine Parker. They were practically neighbors.”
“There’s something really special and sentimental about these art pieces, so I’m excited about displaying some of them at BurchFest,” added Diana Harfouche.
The BurchFest display of approximately two dozen pieces of work is just the tip of the iceberg. In total, there are literally hundred of pieces of art that have been saved. The next question is, what will become of them in the future? Both families are open to suggestions.
For more information on BurchFest 2025 or the long-lost uncovered treasures, please visit https://westseneca.org/burchfest/ or contact Joe Kirchmyer at the West Seneca Chamber of Commerce at (716) 674-4900.
