History seen through art in new exhibit

OROVILLE — The Butte County Historical Society is mounting an exhibit of nearly 40 paintings that art enthusiasts, history buffs and the curious will enjoy.

The exhibit, Butte County History Through Art, will open on May 18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Butte County Historical Society Museum, 1749 Spencer Ave. The exhibit will remain on display through June and regular museum hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. The museum does not charge an admission fee but accepts donations at the door.

The oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings included in the exhibit have never been displayed before and depict images of historical locations throughout the county.

Lois Corbaley’s painting of the Honey Run Covered Bridge is among nearly 40 paintings included in the Butte County Through History art exhibit opening at the Butte County Historical Society Museum on Saturday, May 18, 2024 in Oroville, California (Butte County Historical Society/Contributed)

“These are really nice paintings and they need to see light of day. They don’t do any good sitting in the storage room,” said Nancy Brower, exhibit curator and BCHS member. “I just thought it would be fun to pull them all out and put them on display. I think people are really going to enjoy them and they may just stimulate people’s curiosity to go explore some these historic places.”

Many of the paintings, created over three decades from the 1960s to the 1990s, highlight the same historical icons from around the county including the Bidwell Bar Bridge, old county courthouse, the old bath house (now the Feather River Nature Museum), China Wall, the old Bangor Church, the Spring Valley Mine, Darby House, Vintin Store, Magalia Church, Jonesville Inn and Honey Run Covered Bridge.

“The paintings will be grouped by subject,” said Brower. “I think this will make it very interesting because it will show how the artists view the same scenes differently. It’s fascinating to see the different artist-eye views of Butte County history.”

Among the artists whose work is included in the exhibit are Carol Franklin, Lois Corbaley, Hilda Winchester and Imohl Brown among others. All of these women were long-time county residents and “talented artists,” said Brower.

During opening day, the BCHS is also selling tickets to a Sip and Paint event with local artist Anna Olson. All proceeds from this event, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 29, will benefit the BCHS’s restoration projects. The ticket cost is $40 and the event is limited to 12 attendees.

Visitors to the Butte County History Through Art exhibit will also have the opportunity to explore other museum exhibits including those pertaining to the Oroville Dam, Bidwell Bar and  Ishi, the last member of the Native American Yahi tribe as well as displays on the history of South Oroville, RCBS: Precisioneered Reloading and the Huntington Family.