Art News

Butler Institute of American Art acquires monumental Audrey Flack painting

YOUNGSTOWN, OH.- The Butler Institute of American Art, located at 524 Wick Avenue in Youngstown, has acquired a master painting by renowned American realist painter Audrey Flack (b. 1941). The painting, titled Baba, is a seven by thirteen foot acrylic on canvas painting that was begun by Flack in 1980, and completed in 1983. The large-scale work, among the largest paintings in the Butler’s holdings, was a gift to the museum’s permanent collection by art enthusiast A. Barry Hirschfeld of Colorado. Baba is the second work by Flack to enter the Butler’s collection. According to Butler Director Dr. Louis Zona, “The Butler is known for its collection of masterpieces. This remarkable painting is considered to be one of the very best examples of the work of Audrey Flack, who is one of America’s premier realist painters. The Butler’s great collection of art has just become even greater with the additio