Michael Butler is the Top Honors recipient of the 85th Artist Members Exhibition, selected by Storm Ascher, independent curator, writer, and founder of Superposition Gallery and the Hamptons Black Arts Council.
A self-taught artist with a strong interest in art and history, Butler has exhibited widely over the past three decades. His small-scale narrative paintings draw on mythology, religion, dreams, and storytelling to illuminate overlooked histories—particularly those of enslaved and Indigenous communities on the East End. Rooted in the belief that the past remains a living part of the present, Butler’s work gives visual form to the lives and events often left undocumented. Descended from a Sag Harbor family whose presence dates to the 1920s, Butler has made the village his full-time home since 1988.
Working primarily in acrylic on canvas, Butler describes his practice as narrative or “intuitive” painting. Through a sense of wonder, he constructs imagined realities that merge historical fact and creative vision—echoing a poetic, dreamlike spirit while asserting a distinctly contemporary voice. Butler’s practice reimagines collective memory as an active, evolving narrative, transforming fragments of history into visual allegories that connect personal lineage with broader cultural identity.
This exhibition is organized by Melanie Crader, museum director and curator of visual arts, with support from Philippa Content, museum manager and registrar, and Claire Hunter, museum coordinator and curatorial associate.
GALLERY HOURS:
THURSDAY TO SUNDAY, 12-5 PM
MUSEUM ADMISSION:
$12 / $10 for Seniors, 65+
Free for Members, Children, and Students
The Artist Members Exhibition began in 1938, and Guild Hall continues this long-standing democratic tradition by hosting the oldest non-juried museum exhibition on Long Island. This lively presentation features more than three hundred works and showcases a variety of mediums. As in the traditional salon exhibition, works by established artists are shown alongside those of emerging talents and first-time exhibitors, offering a sampling of artistic practices within our community. This initiative provides an opportunity for audiences to support and celebrate the artists who live and work in our immediate region and for artists to sell their works. In turn, artists show their commitment to and support of Guild Hall. Early participants included James Brooks, Willem de Kooning, Lee Krasner, Alfonso Ossorio, Charlotte Park, Jackson Pollock, and many more.
Guild Hall invites nationally and internationally recognized art professionals to select the Top Honors Award and Honorable Mentions. The recipient of the Top Honors Award is given a future solo exhibition at Guild Hall.
Please check back in the coming months for updates on registering for the Artist Members Exhibition.
This exhibition is organized by Melanie Crader, museum director and curator of visual arts, with support from Philippa Content, museum manager and registrar, and Claire Hunter, museum coordinator and curatorial associate.
GALLERY HOURS:
THURSDAY TO SUNDAY, 12-5 PM
MUSEUM ADMISSION:
$12 / $10 for Seniors, 65+
Free for Members, Children, and Students
ART SOCIAL: SPRING PRINTMAKING WORKSHOP
with Andrea Cote
Celebrate Spring with seasonal –inspired prints! Learn how to create images using shapes and symbols of Spring— plant life, flowers, birds — to make foam plates which we’ll print onto old garden book pages. Once your plate is created, you can make multiple prints to keep and trade. No previous art experience needed.
Admission includes wine and refreshments courtesy of Red Horse Market!
Art Social is a monthly gathering where attendees enter into a supportive and judgment-free session of art/craftmaking and socializing. Bring your friends and expect to make new ones while tapping into your creative selves. Workshops will be led by experts in their practice, and the projects are designed to be easily and enjoyably accomplished by all skill levels.
