Butler Institute director to lead presentation on Americans who changed art history

GREENVILLE, Pa.-- Dr. Louis Zona, executive director of the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio, will present “Five Americans Who Changed Art History” at Thiel College at 7 p.m. Oct. 28 in the Lutheran Heritage Room of the Howard Miller Student Center. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Zona has led the Butler since 1981. He has expanded its original collection, adding to the museum’s historic and contemporary holdings. The museum’s physical size also has more than doubled under Zona’s leadership. Zona is professor of art history emeritus at Youngstown State University (YSU), where he began teaching in 1970.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from YSU, a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a doctorate from Carnegie Mellon University. He is a frequent author on art and art history. Zona is a recipient of the Gari Melcher’s Medal, awarded to Americans who have significantly contributed to American culture, as well as the Ohio Governor’s Award for Arts Administration and the Butler Medal for Life Achievement in American Art.

Founded in 1919, the Butler is the first structure in the United States built specifically to house a collection of American art.

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