Sheila Butler: Other Circumstances opens at the School of Art Gallery
Exhibition Dates: August 29 to October 26, 2024
Panel Discussion and Reception: Thursday, September 19, 6:00-9:00 pm
Curators: Pamela Edmonds and Patrick Mahon
The School of Art Gallery is excited to announce the opening of Sheila Butler: Other Circumstances, a compelling exhibition curated by Pamela Edmonds and Patrick Mahon, running from August 29 to October 26, 2024. This exhibition brings together a selection of paintings and works on paper that span 35 years of Sheila Butler’s extraordinary 50-year artistic career.
Sheila Butler: Other Circumstances explores the central themes that have consistently animated Butler’s practice, including figures in transition and conflict, mythological subjects reimagined through a feminist lens, and bodies suspended in water—a motif that has provided Butler with vast metaphorical possibilities. Her works often delve into the experiences of women, offering nuanced interpretations of the human condition from a gendered perspective.
The exhibition highlights notable works such as Female Icarus (1996) and Ophelia (1996), where Butler revisits and reinterprets archetypal myths. In Female Icarus, Butler offers an allegory of life’s cycles, depicting both falling figures and a rising swimmer, symbolizing transitional states between sky and earth.
Co-curator Pamela Edmonds emphasizes the relevance and complexity of Butler’s work, which addresses themes of chaos and boundary-challenging that remain pertinent today. Paintings like Black Walker (1978) and White Walker (1978) embody these themes, showcasing Butler’s ability to navigate and disrupt traditional boundaries in her art.
This exhibition was first presented at London, Ontario’s Satellite Project Space by Museum London and Arts & Humanities, Western University. Accompanying the exhibition is a richly illustrated 63-page catalogue, featuring essays by co-curators Edmonds and Mahon, as well as contributions from independent curator David Liss, artists Ed Pien and Julie Voyce, and an interview with Butler by emerging curator Sarah Charette.
About the Artist
Sheila Butler, born near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and educated at Carnegie-Mellon University, has had a profound impact on the Canadian art scene since her emigration to Canada in 1962. Butler’s career includes significant contributions to the establishment of the Sanavik Arctic Cooperative in Baker Lake, Nunavut, and the founding of MAWA in Winnipeg, a mentoring organization for women in visual arts. Her work has been exhibited widely across Canada and internationally, and it is part of many public collections, including the National Gallery of Canada and the Winnipeg Art Gallery.
About the Curators
Pamela Edmonds is a renowned curator of contemporary art, currently serving as the Director and Curator of the Dalhousie Art Gallery in Halifax. Her curatorial practice explores the intersection of social practice and visual arts, with a focus on Black diasporic cultures.
Patrick Mahon is an artist, writer, and curator, and Professor Emeritus in Visual Arts at Western University. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and his contributions to the Canadian art community include numerous curatorial projects that explore environmental and social themes.
Join us for the panel discussion and reception on September 19 to engage with the curators and celebrate the remarkable career of Sheila Butler. This is an exhibition not to be missed!