KATHRYN EARNHART | At the Butler New exhibits for fall show wide range of history

With the fall season about to get into full swing, the Butler Institute of American Art and its branch facilities will be bursting with new exhibits that display the best of contemporary art; document American colonial times as well as more recent history; and showcase technological art that will entertain and amaze visitors of all ages.
In Youngstown, works by American Modernist painters including Charles Burchfield, Stuart Davis and Ben Shahn are in the spotlight as the museum exhibits the extensive collection of Dr. Mark and Irene Kauffman of Longboat Key, Fla., beginning Sept. 19. The artists in this collection inspired generations of American artists such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Philip Guston.
Works on display
The collection begins with works evoked by the 1913 Armory Show, an international exhibition of Modern Art. Ridiculed in its time, the Armory Show signalled the moment at which art in America changed, and thus was a natural starting point for the Kauffmans' intriguing Modernist collection that traced that art movement through the mid-20th century.
This exhibition includes cubism and abstract ion, urban and rural scenes, as well as political and social realism. The Kauffmans began collecting these works in 1986 and exhibited the collection in fall 2003 at Boca Raton (Fla.) Museum of Art. The show also was on view this year at the John and Mable Ringling Museum in Sarasota. The nearly 70 paintings hold special interest for Butler visitors as they seem to be siblings of favorite works currently on display within the institute's permanent collection galleries.
Of particular interest are works by Charles Sheeler, Romare Bearden and Robert Gwathmey. A stunning example of painting by the great social realist Jack Levine -- a spoof of the art world itself -- will certainly excite art fans.
Mark and Irene Kauffman will be on hand Oct. 3 for a "meet the collectors" event at the Butler. Call (330) 743-1107 for information. This show continues through the fall.
Also visiting the Butler in Youngstown on Oct. 3 will be New York artist Ted Victoria, who will unveil his an installation of six recent works in the museum's Beecher Center Flad Gallery. An associate professor of art at New York's Kean College, Victoria has long been associated with installation works that combine everyday objects with reflected light. With these elements, and utilizing technologies based upon the centuries-old camera obscura, the artist creates atmospheric works that are filled with humor, emotion and insight into the human condition.
Quilt collection
Quilt lovers will want to visit both the Butler in Youngstown and the museum's Salem facility this fall to see historical and contemporary works of art in fabric. Beginning Sept. 26 in Youngstown, a group of colonial era quilts from the Smithsonian collection will be on view in an exhibit titled "Calico and Chintz: Early American Quilts from the Smithsonian American Art Museum." The 22 quilts in the exhibit display the artistry of making quilts as well as the history of the textiles used in the quilts. For tours of this show, call (330) 743-1107, ext. 115.
At the Salem branch, 343 E. State St., are art quilts inspired by women of historical and popular culture renown by Rebekkah Seigel. These colorful works of art use modern methods and materials for constructing what might best be termed a fabric collage. At 10 a.m. Wednesday, Seigel will be on hand to present a free gallery talk and tour of her work.
Vizquel's exhibit
At the Butler's Trumbull County branch, 9350 E. Market St., in Howland, the very popular exhibit of 19 paintings by Cleveland shortstop Omar Vizquel will be on view through September. The exhibit, which was first seen at the Butler in Youngstown, includes abstractions as well as figurative works in acrylic on canvas.
Also on view in Howland is an extensive retrospective of works by artist Ray Ellis. The exhibition, "A Painter's Journey," continues through Oct. 3.
New Butler art classes are being organized for the fall. For a full schedule, call (330) 743-1107, ext. 117 or visit the Butler's Web site www.butlerart.com and click on education.
XButler hours in Youngstown are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Butler hours at the Trumbull branch are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Butler Salem hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. Admission to all facilities is free.