Photos Shown In Butler Museum Exhibit Opening

"Coming Up the Cuyahoga" All Photos Copyright Stuart Pearl 2008

Each year The Butler Institute of American Art holds its Midyear Exhibition. This competition is a national juried show. Painter, print makers, and photographers from around the country submit their work. The show opened today at the Youngstown cultural institution.

This is the first year I've entered the Butler show. To my great satisfaction, all three of my submissions were accepted. The black and white print "Coming Up the Cuyahoga" won Best In Show which comes with a monetary award.

Stuart Pearl

It was additionally purchased by the museum for its permanent collection as well as by a private individual. It shows the bulk carrier Algoway being guided up the Cuyahoga by a river tug, at the Lorain Carnegie Bridge.

"Girders and Stacks"

This bridge and portions of the old Powerhouse Complex are part of my Cleveland Flats series. It shows the twin brick stacks of the Powerhouse framed by the rusting ironwork of the decommissioned B&O railroad bridge near Settlers Landing. Hidden amidst the girders you can just make out part of the Nautica Stage tent.

"Memorial Glow"

This photograph of the Veterans Memorial Bridge (Detroit Superior) was shot last winter from the old Superior Viaduct. The temperature was about six degrees as the sun rose over a crystal clear morning. Golden light illuminated the inner girders of the trusses, and I had only seconds to make the shot before the glow faded.

The picture above of the snow covered Superior Viaduct was not a show entry. But this was the vantage point for "Memorial Glow."

Our family has a tradition of involvement with the Butler Museum. My sister Sharlene Green is a very talented painter as well as college art professor and has been accepted to the Midyear Show in the past. Our father Moses Pearl had paintings shown in Butler exhibits and competitions four times since 1957. His water color painting "The Pass Over" is part of their permanent collection.

Over 800 entries were submitted for the 2008 competition. Of those, 104 pieces were selected for display from over 60 artists. The show runs from July 13 - August 24 at the Youngstown museum.