MICHAEL A. BUTLER

is an artist, historian and documentarian residing in Sag Harbor, NY.

Born on Staten Island and raised in Queens, Mr. Butler’s family has been visiting Sag Harbor since the early 1900s. His great, great, great grandfather is recorded to have lived in Oyster Bay in 1785. His father, Charles Butler, came to Sag Harbor sometime between 1922 and 1923, and his mother Margaret Burwell’s family started summering here in the 1930’s. “Seven generations of my family have summered here.”

Butler defines his style as narrative folk art or “intuitive” and his preferred medium is acrylic on canvas although at times he incorporates other media. Works of wonder and imagination in the mode of the great Henri Rousseau, Butler's work is exacting, captivating, and often historically inspired.

The imagined realities shown in Butler’s work draw upon the magical, dream-like state that exists within and around us. Sources of inspiration for his pictorial stories are derived from mythology, biblical/religious references, and, more recently, the forgotten history of the East End’s Indigenous and enslaved population.

His compositions are precise and colorful — a quiet beauty that too many rush past. Butler will speak about his work and the rich history of the region, including his deep personal connections to Sag Harbor 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.

Mr. Butler served on the board of the Eastville Community Historical Society for over 20 years, serving as president, vice president, and recording secretary. He is also the chairperson of the St. David AME Zion Church cemetery, a member of East Hampton’s Anti-Bias Task Force, a lifetime member of the NAACP, as well a former board member of the East End AIDS Wellness Project and a former member of the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreation Center.