The Butler Institute of American Art is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2019! There are plans for special exhibits and events throughout the year. Founded in 1919 by Joseph G. Butler, Jr., The Butler Institute of American Art is the first museum of American art. The original structure is a McKim, Mead and White architectural masterpiece listed on the National Register of Historic places. Known worldwide as “America’s Museum”, the museum’s collection totals over 20,000 pieces in all media, and spans four centuries of work. Plan a visit!
EXHIBITIONS
William McGregor Paxton and Elizabeth Okie Paxton: An Artistic Partnership
August 18 – November 10, 2019
William McGregor Paxton and Elizabeth Okie Paxton: An Artistic Partnership includes over 40 large-scale and richly detailed paintings, by accomplished portraitist and figure painter, William McGregor Paxton (1869-1971). The exhibition also incorporates a selection of works by the artist’s wife and muse, Elizabeth Okie Paxton (1877-1971). William Paxton, a member of the Boston School of Painters, is known for his meticulously detailed interiors. Paxton’s Women focuses on Paxton’s repeated explorations of the late 19th and early 20th century femininity using a few preferred models, including his wife. The selection of works by Elizabeth Paxton, best remembered as a painter of still lifes and interiors, reveal how she pursued her own work while often serving as inspiration for her husband’s artistic output. The exhibition is the first examination of William Paxton’s work. The exhibition, drawn from both public and private collections, mixes scenes of domesticity and leisure by both artists over the span of some 40 years. This exhibition was organized by Dixon Gallery and Gardens in Memphis, Tennessee. Learn more
Alice Dalton Brown: Pastels
September 22 – November 24, 2019
Meet the Artist Opening Reception: September 22, 1:00pm-3:00pm
This exhibition is comprised of a selection of over 35 pastel works of “Realist” imagery from artist Alice Dalton Brown. This body of work depicts stunning window views from within sheltered places, and visually appealing views of the structural aspects of homes and buildings. Brown uses a vantage point that enhances the sculptural qualities of a structure, and opposes them with the disorder of the natural world. The resulting imagery evokes an association with shelter, identity, the holding of memories and inspires daydreams. As with all of Alice Dalton Brown’s work, the strong representation of warmth and light in the imagery provides dynamics for a strong composition, and rhythmic placement of horizontal and vertical elements are a counterpoint to the complexity and uncertainty of nature. Learn more
Paul Ching-Bor: Dramatized Propositions
September 22 – November 3, 2019
Meet the Artist Reception: September 26, 6:00pm-8:00pm
(RSVP Required by September 19 – Call 330-743-1107 X1312 – Members: Free; Non-Members: $5)
This exhibition of 10 large scale paintings by contemporary painter, Paul Ching-Bor reveals the artists daring exploration of watercolor, while expressing how the contrasting dark and light spirit of life in New York City has inspired him. These haunting images of buildings, bridges and tunnels are quietly intense in their bleakness. The dark and heavy surfaces interrupted by soft, streaked or radiant light, in these cityscapes demonstrate how Ching-Bor’s bold and dynamic approach to watercolor defies the naturally delicate and transparent qualities of the medium. The art of Paul Ching-Bor makes us realize that real talent is indeed a very rare gift. This is an artist who observes the world around him and beautifully alters that world by pulling out and revealing the underlying substance of his subjects. No one can paint the city or capture its energy as remarkably as Paul Ching-Bor. Learn more
49th Annual American Holiday at the Butler Arts & Crafts Show
Saturday, December 7, 10:00am-5:00pm
Sunday, December 8, 10:00am-4:00pm
The American Holiday at the Butler is a much anticipated annual holiday tradition in which artists and artisans from near and far show and sell their original, one-of-a-kind creations that make for very special gift giving. This craft show kicks off with a member’s exclusive private preview party on Friday, December 6, then opens to the public Saturday and Sunday. An American Holiday at The Butler craft show provides a unique holiday shopping experience inside the galleries of the Butler Institute of American Art – an architectural masterpiece and nationally recognized historical structure known worldwide as “America’s Museum”. This holiday event serves as the museum’s major fundraiser to support and maintain the Butler’s free admission policy, as well as its free art education programs. For inquiries on becoming a craft show committee member, or for vendor opportunities, please email [email protected], or call Wayne Gruver at 330-743-1107; ext. 1313. Learn more