Butler Institute of American Art

Butler Institute of American Art
Established	1919
Location	524 Wick Avenue, Youngstown, Ohio, 44502
Type	American art
Curator	Dr. Louis A. Zona
Website	http://www.butlerart.com/
Butler Institute Of American Art
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location:	524 Wick Ave., Youngstown, Ohio
Coordinates:	41°6′20″N 80°38′46″W
Area:	less than one acre
Built:	1919
Architect:	McKim,Mead & White
Architectural style:	Second Renaissance Revival
Governing body:	Private
NRHP Reference#:	74001567
Added to NRHP:	October 29, 1974

The Butler Institute of American Art, located on Wick Avenue in Youngstown, Ohio, United States, was the first museum dedicated exclusively to American art. Established by local industrialist and philanthropist Joseph G. Butler, Jr., the museum has been operating pro bono since 1919. Dedicated in 1919, the original structure is a McKim, Mead and White architectural masterpiece listed on the National Register of Historic Places .

Prior to 2007, the most celebrated work in the Butler's permanent collection was Winslow Homer's Snap the Whip, a famed tribute to the era of the one-room schoolhouse. In 2007, however, the museum acquired the Norman Rockwell painting Lincoln the Railsplitter for $1.6 million. The previous owner of the 84.5 by 44.5 inch painting was businessman and former presidential candidate Ross Perot. Other aspects of the nation's past are captured in a unique collection of paintings featuring southwestern Native Americans, which were once part of Joseph Butler's personal collection.

Additional highlights include an iconic depiction of George Washington's wedding, William Gropper's celebrated Youngstown Strike, an interpretation of the area's violent 1937 Little Steel Strike, and Albert Bierstadt's 'Oregon Trail, 1869.

Meanwhile, the gallery of modern art features a striking, life-sized painting by Alfred Leslie titled, Americans: Youngstown, Ohio, which depicts personalities connected to the Butler as they appeared in the 1970s.

Butler Institute of American Art's Andrews Pavilion

In recent years, the Butler has expanded significantly. A 19,000-square-foot (1,800 m²) south wing, the Beecher Center, was constructed in conjunction with Youngstown State University in 2000 with a focus of uniting technology and art. Two years later, the 3,400-square-foot (320 m²) Andrews Pavilion, featuring a sculpture atrium, gift shop, and café, was added to the rear of the facility. In 2006, the Butler purchased the neighboring First Christian Church facility and converted it into an education and performing arts center.

External links

• Butler Institute of American Art