Butler-Salem shows native’s work

At Salem High School, Sulea did well in football and track.

THE VINDICATOR

SALEM — American master artist Andrew Wyeth once visited a Maine gallery where Salem-born artist Richard Sulea’s work was on view.

Wyeth, a member of America’s realist painting dynasty, looked at Sulea’s paintings and declared, “This guy’s got it!” It was high praise indeed from an American art icon to an admirer who had gained inspiration from Wyeth.

Now on view through Saturday at the Butler Institute of American Art Salem branch, 343 E. State St., are works by Sulea (1943-2003).

The exhibition is a retrospective of the artist’s work, drawn primarily from private collections. It includes realist works in a variety of media with subjects ranging from landscapes and architectural details, still life, portraits and more.

“Richard Sulea was a truly remarkable talent whose work appealed to young and old,” said Butler Director Louis Zona. “We lost him far too soon.”

Sulea was well-known as an athlete in his days at Salem High School, excelling at both football and track.

After initially pursuing physical education as a career, he left Kent State University after his sophomore year to spend some time in California with his sister, artist Rosemarie Sulea Cardoso.

Returning to Kent State, Sulea took an art course as an elective to fill his schedule. It was a choice that changed the course of his life. Ultimately, Sulea earned a bachelor of fine arts and later a master’s degree in painting.

He became a teacher at Kent and at the Canton Art Institute.

Sulea spent time in Maryland, Arizona and California, but returned to Salem for the last decade of his life, making his hometown his permanent home.

An excellent draftsman, Sulea’s early drawings foreshadowed his later success in rendering realist subjects. His sensitive graphite drawings of people are complemented by his careful modeling of architectural details and landscapes — all of which seem to be as alive as the artist’s human subjects.

Yet, it was as a watercolorist that Sulea won national recognition, when, in 1985, he was elected to the American Watercolor Society (AWS) and honored with a purchase award from Hallmark Cards Inc.

Though realism can be enjoyed at face value, Sulea’s realism offers more than the photolike paintings that have become a staple of the current trends in painting. The artist had the ability to isolate a moment in time while evoking the splendor of nature.

The Butler’s Salem branch is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Calll (330) 332-8213.