SALEM – The Burchfield Homestead Society will be partnering with the America 250-Ohio Commission as part of the “Ohio Trails & Tales” program which will celebrate the state’s legacy of artistic excellence in the leadup to the nation’s semiquincentennial in 2026. 

According to a press release the Burchfield Homestead Society is set to serve as a stop on the Ohio creativity trail, a driving route across the state featuring 108 locations which celebrate the achievements of “Ohio’s past and present writers, musicians, artists, and other creatives who have made significant contributions to artistic expression,” and educate them about their lives and work. The trail’s stops are categorized in six categories: on the page, music, visual arts, glass & pottery, folk & traditional art, and carousel art. 

The Burchfield Homestead Society, located at 867 E. Fourth St. in the former home of famed watercolor artist Charles Burchfield is stop three on the visual arts category map. Since opening its doors in April of 1999, the Homestead Society has offered visitors the opportunity to learn about Burchfield’s creative process “by viewing the sites that inspired him” while he lived, studied and worked in Salem. Burchfield moved to Salem with his family in 1898 when he was five years old, and would spend his childhood and young adulthood studying, working and painting in the city, graduating from Salem High School as valedictorian in 1911 and having what he would later refer to as his “Golden Year” in 1917, before moving to Buffalo New York in 1921. 

“This is a great honor by the state. The Burchfield Homestead Society is thrilled that the Salem house and garden where Charles Burchfield 

created hundreds of watercolor paintings is part of the Ohio Creativity Trail,” said Burchfield Homestead Society President Sara Baer. 

The Homestead is open Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. from May through October, and by appointment. 

“It’s no secret that Ohioans leave their mark on the world, whether in the form of paint on a canvas, words on a page, or new artistic ways to express thoughts and ideas,” said America 250-Ohio Executive Director Todd Kleismit. “In partnership with the Burchfield Homestead, we’re showcasing their great work, as well as other talented artists across Ohio to generate excitement for our state’s significant contributions to the cultural fabric of America. We look forward to celebrating with the Burchfield Homestead throughout 2025 and 2026.” 

For information on the Burchfield Homestead visit www.burchfieldhomestead.com.

Other Columbiana County sites featured on the trail include the Museum of Ceramics in East Liverpool which is listed as stop three on the glass & pottery map.  To learn more about the America 250-Ohio Trails & Tales Program, and the Ohio Creativity Trail, visit www.america250-ohio.org/ohio-creativity-trail/.