Carnegie Hall’s January/February Exhibits are underway with three new galleries featuring the works of regional artists. The Lobby Gallery features “Journey Through Nature” by Charles “Butch” Ferguson. The Lobby Gallery is located on the first floor of Carnegie Hall in the Hamilton Auditorium. The exhibit runs through the end of February.
Butch was born in Phoenix, Arizona and moved to West Virginia at a young age. The abundance of wildlife and the beautiful landscape sparked his interest in painting early on, but in the 1970’s he found an interest in wood carving. Being a self-taught artist, the path he has taken has been a very versatile one.
His work was juried into the West Virginia Cultural Center at the State Capital. While there, one of his decoy carvings was presented to the then Vice President of the United States, George Bush in October 1988 by then Governor Arch Moore as a gift from the State of West Virginia. He was also honored for his important contribution to preserving West Virginia’s heritage in the arts.
In April 1996, Butch was one of the first honored and accepted into the best of West Virginia at Tamarack. He was recognized for his important role and contribution to economic development of state tourism by Governor Caston Caperton. In October 1997, Butch received a conservation award for his work in the preservation of the North American Waterfowl Heritage.
Butch spent some time on West Virginia public television teaching wood carving and years in his studio at The Greenbrier Resort. There he received many commissions from The Hotel and their guests. Butch considers himself very fortunate to have his paintings and carvings collected from people around the world. He now enjoys semi-retirement from his home in Lewisburg, West Virginia.
Carnegie Hall exhibits are free and open to the public, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., and run through the end of February. For more information, please visit carnegiehallwv.org, call 304-645-7917, or stop by the Hall at 611 Church Street, Lewisburg.
Carnegie Hall programs are presented with financial assistance through a grant from the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts.
