The Butler Institute of Art- Youngstown, OH

One of life’s greatest simple pleasures is a pleasant surprise. Finding a fabulous collection of American art, housed in a stunning McKim, Mead and White Beaux Arts building, in Youngstown, Ohio certainly falls into that category. All around impressive, The Butler Institute of Art serves as a reminder of the area’s prosperous past.

Founded by Ohio native and early industrialist Joseph G. Butler in 1919, the Institute’s original collection featured 34 paintings by American artists, including “Snap the Whip” by Homer Winslow, which reminded Butler of his childhood friend William McKinley, whom had just been assassinated a few years earlier. Incidentally, Butler was so moved by the loss of his friend, he spearheaded the effort to construct a memorial for the fallen president in nearby Niles, Ohio, which was designed by New York architects McKim, Mead and White.

For his museum, the first to exclusively feature American art in the country, Butler once again commissioned McKim, Mead and White to design the building. The result was a classic Beaux Arts Italianate, which echoed the sophistication of the collection. As such, the museum’s 1919 opening was attended by several high profile guests including President Woodrow Wilson, financier J.P. Morgan, and Hollywood elites Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. I am sure Mark Twain would have attended if he were still alive- he was not one to miss a party.

Over the years, the collection has grown to over 22,000 pieces, including works by several noted Hudson River School artists such as Frederic Edwin Church, Thomas Cole, George Inness and Albert Bierstadt. The increased collection size led to several building additions over the years, and the acquisition of an adjacent 1934 Gothic Revival church, which acts both as storage and exhibit space. An absolute gem, The Butler Institute of Art rivals America’s most well known art museums, including the Smithsonian.