KATHRYN EARNHART | The Butlers Female artists' work to be featured

The Youngstown YWCA's 20th annual women's show, an exhibition of work by regional artists in all media, begins Saturday at The Butler Institute of American Art.
The exhibition, traditionally displayed at the YWCA's Rayen Street facility, is called "Women Artists: A Celebration," and continues at the Butler in Youngstown through May 19. A preview is planned Friday. Call the YWCA for reservations.
"This exhibition not only celebrates a special anniversary, but also the extraordinary level of artistic talent in our region," said Butler Director Dr. Louis Zona. "The accomplishments of women artists everywhere need to be reaffirmed. This 20th anniversary YWCA show underscores their achievements. It is not to be missed."
Juror for this year's YWCA women's show was Laura Vinnedge, assistant professor of the Myers School of Art, the University of Akron.
Awards: Awards were given in several categories. Here are the winners:
UCertificates: Nancy Richards of Norton, Deborah Orloff of Sylvania and Kimerlen Moore of Bowling Green.
UMargaret Evans Award: Priscilla Roggenkamp of Alliance.
UVilma Baker O'Neill Award: Terry Madden of Girard.
UEileen Scragg Award: Christine Ellis Donahue of Bay Village.
UFlorence Gordon Award: Gerri Palmer of Elyria.
UMahoning Valley Watercolor Society Awards: Mary Kay D'Isa and Pamela Querin, both of Youngstown.
UCash awards: Mary Cernyar of Condon, Ore., Cheryl Eddie Deibel of Canfield, Charlene Galose of Boardman, Leah Scharville of Burghill and Georgene Wright of McDonald.
Something to see: Those coming to the Butler Institute should revisit the museum's long-running Carol Adams installation "Stimulated Emission," on view in the Beecher Center second level gallery.
A new, brighter laser has been added and plans are being formulated for other technological additions to the installation, including video/holographic effects, making this show a true work in progress.
The exhibition also uses neon, glowing wire, and other new light technologies, as well as traditional artist's mediums -- enamel, fiber, fabric, metals, and wood -- two musical pieces titled "Thermo Synthesis" and "Pyrolangia Excerpt," both composed and produced by Ron Slabe of Pyrosonic Company of Kent.
PBS series: In the Butler's Zona Auditorium at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, the museum will begin screening the PBS "American Visions" series of eight documentary programs that chronicle the history of this nation's art.
This first one-hour "American Visions" episode, The Republic of Virtue, examines how a brand new United States sought a national visual style to express its values in the traditions of the ancient republics of Greece and Rome.
The series host, Time magazine's Robert Hughes, visits Jefferson's Monticello and reflects on the Hudson River artists, including Thomas Cole.
In 1999, Robert Hughes visited Youngstown on the occasion of the Butler's 80th anniversary. He found the Institute to be ". . . a remarkable museum."
Hughes lauded the quality and range of Butler holdings, which also detail the history of American art, displaying most of the artists included in the "American Visions?" series. The noted historian stated: "There are so few collections that have even attempted what the Butler has done. This is one of the gems of the country."
The "American Visions" film series is presented at the Butler courtesy of PBS 45/49.
Also scheduled for Wednesday is the screening of a classic Hollywood film in the Zona Auditorium. Call the museum for information regarding this film and the time of its showing.
Spring gallery talks: Director Zona will present the last in a series of spring gallery talks at 2 p.m today at the museum's Salem branch. Today's discussion will focus on Surrealism and the impact this art movement made on world art.
The Butler Salem branch is funded by The Salem Community Foundation.
XButler hours in Youngstown are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Butler hours at the Trumbull branch are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Butler Salem hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to all three Butler branches is free. The Trumbull branch is in Howland.