The Southport Memorial Library welcomes John Butke as its Artist of the Month.

John Butke graduated from Massachusetts College of Art with a bachelor’s degree in painting and illustration. He received a scholarship to Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., where he received a master’s degree in painting and printmaking. He then received a Ford Foundation Grant to study lithography at Tamarind Lithography Workshop in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and then in Los Angeles, Calif.

In October, 1967, John joined the Peace Corps and trained in Molokai, Hawaii. He served two years in Apia, Western Samoa as a teacher of English. After his Peace Corps service, he resumed studying lithography at the Tamarind Lithography Workshop in Albuquerque, N.M. Butke then taught for two years in the Art Department of the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, Wis. In 1973 John returned to Worcester, Mass., and took the position of Visual Art Instructor for the Worcester Public Schools.

Butke and his wife Jill began summering on Sawyer’s Island in 1974 where they rented the garage apartment of long time Sawyer’s Island resident Emily Gove. In 1975 they turned the outside of the garage apartment into “The Islander Gallery” when, weather permitting, some of Butke’s paintings and Jill’s weavings were on display. In the summer of 1977 the Butkes moved their summer residence around the corner into Ed and Ruth Malcom’s Sea Roost cottage.

The Malcoms offered John and Jill space in their 17th century Victorian barn where they continued to display their work. John and Jill purchased the Sea Roost cottage in 1979 and continued to maintain the Butke Studio in the Malcom’s barn. During those early summers on Sawyer’s Island, John explored the Maine landscape; the rocky shores, fields, forests, and harbors. Its inspiration is still reflected in John’s watercolors and oil paintings.

The couple retired from their teaching careers in Massachusetts in 2005 and now live year round in their Sawyer’s Island home. Both of them have studio space in their home: John for his painting and Jill for her weaving. The gallery space at their home is open May-October by chance or by appointment.

The show at SML runs through February 22 and can be seen during regular library hours:

Tuesday and Thursday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.; Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call library at 207-633-2741.

In addition to the Southport Memorial Library, John’s paintings are on exhibit at the Boothbay Region Art Foundation, A Silver Lining, The Maine Art Gallery and River Arts.