MacDowell exhibit features oil and acrylic paintings by Tom Butters

July 30, 2025 -- Area artist Tom Butters brings a lifetime of creativity from his Midwest roots to his experiences as a national advertising executive and racecar driver to the newest exhibit at Reid Health's MacDowell Gallery

"Elevation" features oil and acrylic paintings by Butters, on display now through Oct. 31.

Butters began private studies at age 12 under noted Indiana watercolorist Ed Basker, later earning a scholarship to the South Bend Art Association.

In high school, Butters worked as a newspaper artist for the South Bend Tribune. While a student at Indiana University, he created a commentary cartoon strip. He wanted to be a magazine illustrator during an era of magazine graphics in publications like "Look," "Colliers," "Life," and others, he said.

"But illustration wasn't taught at IU and I slowly slid into another discipline, Comparative Literature, and another career, advertising," Butters said.

He worked in advertising agencies in Indianapolis, St. Louis, and New York for clients such as Fiat, Ford, Lancia, Pirelli, Budweiser, and more.

Butters was a driver for Sports Car Club of America and a Madison Avenue "Mad Man" until he and his wife, who had a similar management career, returned to Indiana with their children to care for family.

At nearly 60, Butters left his role as Director of Corporate Communications in Indianapolis and moved to the family farm in rural Greens Fork.

"Now with encouragement from my wife, I began the journey back to art," Butters said.

"I'd never entirely left. I created layouts and logos and conceptual presentations during my advertising days, but of paintings, they can be counted by the fingers on one hand, the meager fruit of almost 35 years."

Since 1999, Butters has focused on creating original oil and acrylic paintings.

In 2007, he entered his first juried exhibition and won Richmond Art Museum's (RAM) Best of Show. Butters created his signature images, including "Sky Boats" and "Elevated" — works he describes as "people dallying above the clouds in the majesty of the sky and air and clouds, unencumbered by gravity."

His work has appeared in the Hoosier Salon, Harrison Salon, Indiana University East's 912 Gallery, Whitewater Gallery, and the Art Association of Henry County. His motorsport art has been featured at the Indiana State Museum, the Governor's Mansion, and RAM. Gov. Mitch Daniels named him a Distinguished Hoosier.

Butters was instrumental in creating the Hagerstown Arts Place, which for seven years offered free art and violin lessons.

"I loved teaching painting there," he said. "I learned more from having to articulate and qualify my expectations than I ever would have painting alone."

Though professionally retired, he's never been busier.

"Many of my pictures are ideas or stories, not representations," Butters said. "The challenge is figuring out something whimsical to say or show. It might only be whimsical to me — but I hope you'll get it."

The MacDowell Gallery is located on the second floor of the Reid Health Outpatient Care Center at 1100 Reid Parkway in Richmond. The gallery is named after Barry MacDowell, who served as Reid President and CEO from 1988 to 2008. Visitors can use the Grand Staircase or the outpatient elevators to reach the exhibit.