KATHRYN EARNHART | The Butler Summer exhibits focus on sculpture

A visit to the Butler Institute of American Art this month will reveal unusual and dynamic works of art as sculpture takes center stage.
In addition to the exhibition of classic sculpture by Gaston Lachaise at the Butler Trumbull branch, an outdoor courtyard installation of sculpture by contemporary artist Clement Meadmore will soon be on view at that facility, and a group of large-scale sculptures will soon grace the grounds of the Howland museum. (Watch for works by Alexander Lieberman and Tony Smith, among others, on the Trumbull campus later this month.)
The Butler in Youngstown is set to display sculpture by Joseph Sheppard beginning July 6, a part of the well-known painter's 50-year retrospective, and visitors won't want to miss a new work by ultra-realist sculptor Marc Sijan which was recently installed in the Butler's gallery of sports art.
Artist's history
On June 16 at 2 p.m. at the Butler Trumbull branch, located at 9350 East Market Street in Howland township, Paula R. Hornbostel from the Lachaise Foundation will present a free gallery talk on the life and work of Gaston Lachaise. (The Butler's exhibition of Lachaise sculpture and drawings is presented in cooperation with Salander-O'Reilly Galleries, New York City.)
Gaston Lachaise (1882-1935) was born in Paris and at age 20, while an art student, met a young American woman, Isabel Dutaud Nagle. She became a primary inspiration for Lachaise, awakening a vision and leading the artist to refer to Isabel as "woman."
Lachaise was determined to earn enough money by working as a glass carver in the art nouveau studio of Ren & eacute; Lalique to follow Isabel to America, which he did in 1906.
After his arrival in the United States, Lachaise was employed in Boston, where he helped to create war memorials. By 1912 he had married Isabel and opened his own studio in New York.
Lachaise participated in the famed 1913 Armory Show, displaying a small plaster sculpture of a woman.
A seven-year assistantship to American art deco sculptor Paul Manship (1886-1966) helped the artist to maintain his own studio where he worked at night.
Little critical notice was given to the artist's work, even though a one-man show at a private gallery was held in 1918.
In 1927, Lachaise created "Floating Figure," a monumental work that seemed to defy gravity.
Soon after, the artist's sculpture was exhibited at Alfred Stieglitz's "Intimate Gallery," and that exhibition helped gain recognition for Lachaise. In addition to a few other artists, Lachaise is given credit for helping to give the modernist movement direction.
Trumbull branch
On view beginning June 19 at the Butler Trumbull branch are outdoor works by contemporary sculptor Clement Meadmore. The exhibition is presented with cooperation from the Peter Rose Gallery, New York City.
On June 19 from 7 to 9 p.m., the Butler Trumbull branch will be host of a meet-the-artist reception to honor Meadmore. The event is free and open to the public.
Born in 1929 in Melbourne, Meadmore studied aeronautical engineering at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. After graduating, he designed furniture.
In 1953, his first sculpture of welded steel was offered for sale.
While a young artist, his work was highly regarded, and he was awarded a number of exhibitions, including several one-person shows in Melbourne and Sydney.
In 1963, Meadmore migrated to America. With the exception of a year spent in Australia as photo editor for Vogue magazine, Meadmore has since lived and worked in the United States.
In the mid-1970s, his sculptures became more complex; surfaces remained understated, painted a matte black or left to rust. ("Upbeat," a work recently acquired for the Butler collection, is permanently on view at the Trumbull branch and is typical of Meadmore's much-heralded work.)
Meadmore is represented in collections at major museums in Australia as well as at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Portland Art Museum and others in the United States and Japan. His large-scale sculptures have been installed on college campuses throughout the country, including Princeton University.
Sports gallery
Marc Sijan's sculptures are incredibly lifelike. An exhibition of the artist's work presented last year at the Butler in Youngstown broke records for museum attendance.
Cast in polyester resin, the sculptures seem to be on the verge of movement, just an instant away from action. Pores in the skin, tiny hairs and blemishes are a few of the components that contribute to the illusion created by Sijan, who states, "I am seeking to freeze motion rather than suggest life."
The "Baseball Player," now on view in the Butler's Sports Gallery (bought through the institute's Lester F. Donnell Fund) goes beyond skin-deep realism to giving an emotional presence that has been the hallmark of Sijan's work.
Coming up
Reservations are being accepted for the Butler's annual Midyear Party scheduled for July 5. Painter and sculptor Joseph Sheppard will be on hand at the event, which will also preview his retrospective exhibition titled "50 Years of Art." For information, call (330) 743-1711, Ext. 117.
There are still a few openings for youngsters interested in attending the Butler's Annual Summer Arts Day Camp held the last two weeks of July. Art classes for the summer offer opportunities for both children and adults. For information, or to register for these programs, call the museum's education department, (330) 743-1711, Ext. 114.
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.; 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 facilities is free.