Tarleton’s artist in residence works on display

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 26, 2009

STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS—The works of artist Laura Butler are now on display in the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center Gallery.

The exhibit, “Shades of Gray: The Contemporary Cowboy,” features paintings of cowboys and horses.

A horsewoman herself and an artist since childhood, Butler was drawn to her subject by the cowboys who used to sit on her mama’s front porch and tell tales of their roundups in the mountains and ravines of Palo Pinto County.

Butler’s works have been featured in galleries in Dallas, Scottsdale and Santa Fe and have been purchased by movie celebrities, corporations and institutions like Methodist Hospital in Dallas.

“I started with acrylics, then switched to oils,” she said. “A couple of years ago, I tired of the color and started painting in black and white oils. I think black and white better captures the grit of the Old West.”

For Butler, Tarleton is a second home. Six years ago, she was appointed the artist in residence at the university. For a stipend, she produces original work for university purposes, arranges shows and counsels students on careers in art.

The show runs through Sept. 23. The gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is free and open to the public. A reception honoring Butler will be from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, at the gallery.

For more information on the gallery and its exhibits, call (254) 968-9236.

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