History seen through art in new exhibit – Chico Enterprise-Record
This acrylic on canvas painting of the Old Butte County Courthouse by Mary Gibbons is one of the featured paintings in the upcoming Butte County Through History Art Exhibition opening at the Butte County Historical Society Museum on Saturday, May 18, 2024 in Oroville, CA (Butte County) Historical Society/ Contributed)
OROVILLE – The Butte County Historical Society is holding an exhibition of nearly 40 paintings that art lovers, history buffs and the curious will enjoy.
The exhibit, Butte County History Through Art, will open May 18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Butte County Historical Society Museum, at 1749 Spencer Street. The exhibit will remain on display through June, and the museum’s regular hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 3 pm on Saturdays. The museum does not charge an admission fee but accepts donations at the door.
The oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings in the exhibition have never been shown before and depict images of historic sites throughout the county.
“These are really beautiful paintings that need to see the light of day. They’re not doing any good sitting in a storage room,” said Nancy Brewer, curator and BCHS member. “I thought it would be fun to take them all out and put them on display. I think people will really enjoy it and it might stimulate people’s curiosity to explore some of these historical places.
Many of the paintings, created over three decades from the 1960s to the 1990s, highlight the same historical icons from across the county including the Bidwell Bar Bridge, the Old County Courthouse, the Old Dove House (now the Feather River Nature Museum), and the China Wall . Old Bangor Church, Spring Valley Mine, Darby House, Finten Store, Magalia Church, Jonesville Inn and Honey Run Covered Bridge.
“The paintings will be grouped by theme,” Brewer said. “I think this will make it interesting because it will show how artists look at the same scenes differently. It’s great to see different artist’s views of Butte County history.”
Among the artists whose works are included in the exhibition are Carol Franklin, Louis Corbally, Hilda Winchester, Immuhl Brown, and others. All of these women were longtime county residents and “talented artists,” Brewer said.
During opening day, BCHS is also selling tickets to a Sip and Paint event with local artist Anna Olson. All proceeds from the event, scheduled from 10am to 1pm on June 29, will benefit BCHS’s restoration projects. Tickets cost $40 and the event is limited to 12 people.
Visitors to the Butte County History Through Art exhibit will also have the opportunity to explore other museum exhibits including those related to Oroville Dam, Bidwell Barr and Ishi, the last member of the Yahi Native American tribe, as well as displays on Southern history. Oroville, RCBS: Precision Reloading and the Huntington Family.
