KATHRYN EARNHART | The Butlers Butler galleries undergo face-lift

Those visiting The Butler Institute of American Art in coming weeks will notice significant activity within the museum's first floor collection galleries. Recently, the Butler received funding from the Henry Fuce Foundation (New York City) to assist the institute with the refurbishment of six of the museum's permanent collection galleries. Under the supervision of Butler trustee D.D. Davis, this restoration project has begun, with new flooring and state-of-the-art lighting systems to be installed, and gallery walls to be cleaned and repaired in these historic spaces. Funds from the grant have also enabled the Butler to send works from three centuries of American art history to five prominent museums in a unique exhibition titled "An American Anthem."
Plenty to see: Although many of the Butler's favorite works are now on tour and some popular galleries are being restored, the institute has planned some dynamic displays so that museum visitors will have incredible works of art to see and enjoy. Butler galleries now contain wonderful works borrowed from other museums and from private collections, some rarely seen gems from the Butler holdings, and recently acquired historic works.
Of particular interest are two 19th-century paintings by George Caleb Bingham (1811-1879) of Missouri which are now featured in the Butler's Cushwa Gallery. Bingham was the first major American painter to work west of the Mississippi, and along with William Sidney Mount, is one of the two most important American genre painters of the pre-Civil War period. Bingham's fame was built upon his renditions of two subjects -- frontier politics and the river life of the West. Both of these subjects are presented in two pictures on loan to the Butler from the Nelson Atkins Museum, Kansas City, Mo. Accompanying the display of the two works is a short video that reviews Bingham's life and accomplishments.
Easily learned: Bingham had a technical facility for painting that he developed over a remarkably short space of time. After only a few months training at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, he traveled to Europe and around the United States before settling in Missouri. In the 1830s Bingham was producing stylized portraits. By 1845, his style had improved dramatically. In 1856 he followed in the footsteps of a number of other American artists choosing Dusseldorf as a place to study. Upon returning home, his style had changed to an adoption of a dry academic technique, which ultimately proved unsuccessful. Eventually, Bingham moved into politics.
With paintings such as these of Northern American frontier life -- often of views of the Missouri River -- Bingham focused on everyday scenes. In an age when the camera was not widely available, Bingham provided an interesting insight into his fellow citizens in Missouri and their way of life. "Fishing on the Mississippi" is typical of the dreamy lyricism of Bingham's mature work.
Bingham was actively involved in politics, and in 1849 he was elected to the Missouri State Legislature. In "Canvassing for a Vote" the artist shows an innocent country bumpkin and a skeptical potbellied old gentleman listening to an enthusiastic politician, while a sensible dog lies dozing at their feet. The locale is Bingham's hometown of Arrow Rock, Mo.; the inn in the background stills stands today.
Lost, then found: "Fishing on the Mississippi" was commissioned by the New York art dealer Goupil to serve as the basis for a lithograph; the painting was lost until 1954 when its owner in Florida sent it to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art for restoration. The museum's curator recognized the painting as the original model for the lithograph, and the Nelson Atkins purchased it shortly afterwards.
Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in the Butler's Zona Auditorium, a documentary about the life and work of Jackson Pollock will be screened. This one-hour film includes interviews with the artist and other footage, including the voices of the artist's wife, Lee Krasner, and Ed Harris, director and star of the Hollywood feature film "Pollock." Saturday from 1-3 p.m., the Butler Trumbull branch will host a meet-the-artist reception for painter Brian Rutenberg whose 10-year painting survey is currently on view at the Howland facility.
XThe Butler and its branches are closed today. Regular Butler hours in Youngstown are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday noon to 4 p.m. Trumbull branch hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Salem hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.