Michael A. Butler is The Church’s Insight Sunday artist for the month of April. A painter and historian, Butler will speak about his work and the rich history of our region, including his deep personal connections to Sag Harbor and his longstanding community involvement. His ancestral ties to the village date from the 1920s and he was a consistent vacationer here during his adolescence. He has also served on the board of the Eastville Community Historical Society for 20 years.
Butler’s work depicts the shimmering glory of our world – a quiet beauty that too many of us rush past. Referencing religion, legend, and myth, his compositions are precise and colorful. The region of the East End is a central theme: its landscapes, light, history, industries, flora, and fauna as well as the lives of its inhabitants both contemporary and historic, including whalers, factory workers, village folk, farmers, and indigenous and enslaved peoples. Don’t let their compact size and meticulous facture fool you: Butler’s paintings punch well above their weight.
