During the 1934 World's Fair held in Chicago, a painting of Archer's called "Waiting for the Departure" was included in a comprehensive exhibition of paintings from American collections held at the Art Institute. This work is shown above (3). Other names given the painting were ""At the Window" and "Waiting for the Procession". When "Life" magazine reproduced the painting in its issue for May 26, 1941, the image caption referred to Archer as "Virginia's most important contemporary artist". It received first prize and was voted most popular painting at the Norfolk Museum of Fine Arts and Painting exhibition of 1950. Between 1936 and 1940, Archer showed periodically in exhibitions at the Art Students' League.