The Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown announced the display of a large-scale abstract painting by Sam Gilliam that had been stored in the museum’s climate-controlled basement for approximately 30 years before its rediscovery. The work, “Mars at Angles,” measures 232 by 186 inches and anchors a new exhibition, “Spark of Genius: Legacy & Lineage, African American Art from the Butler,” which opened February 22, 2026.

Gilliam (1933–2022), born in Mississippi and raised in Kentucky, was a major figure in postwar American abstract painting known for colorful, draped, and suspended canvases. Interim director Larry Jones described “Mars at Angles” as “incredibly impressive by its size but also because of its importance.” The rediscovery prompted a broader curatorial review of the museum’s holdings of African American art.

The exhibition includes works by Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, and Elizabeth Catlett, alongside paintings by northeastern Ohio artists Alfred Bright of Youngstown, Bill Dotson of Akron, and Maple Turner III of Youngstown. Curator Dee Banks delivered a free public lecture on the featured artists in the museum’s Zona Auditorium on the opening day, February 22. The Butler Institute of American Art, located at 524 Wick Avenue, is free and open to the public.

Source: Business Journal Daily