Laura Butler is a multi-media artist raised in the Kawartha Lakes and currently based in Toronto. She graduated from Western University in 2021 with an Undergraduate Degree in Visual Arts, Honours, and a certificate in Museum and Curatorial Studies. Laura was employed by Kawartha Art Gallery in 2020 and 2021 in a variety of positions that included curatorial, programming and communications responsibilities. In 2022 Laura was an award winner in the Gallery’s Annual Juried Exhibit, Radical Landscapes.

With Laura’s creative and research practice most often investigating human relationships with plants and the environment, with more recent artworks dedicated to exploring ideas of domesticity and keepsakes, in 2023 Laura presented a successful solo exhibit of her works in the Gallery entitled Sincerely, Plants.

Laura’s thoughts on the Arts:

Since graduating from my 4-year university program, I’ve had some amazing opportunities to further my artistic career, including a residency in Toronto, multiple paid exhibitions, internships, commissions, and meaningful collaborations with other artists.

I’m grateful, because it’s no secret that being an artist isn’t the most lucrative career; I can’t count the hours I’ve spent researching and applying for every available opportunity, only for my application to be rejected, or undervaluing my own work because gaining recognition is an investment. Yet I wouldn’t dare call any of my experiences or the skills I’ve learned thus far a waste of time.

Being an artist has taught me to be curious. I have a learned desire to try new things and a learned ability to be my own teacher, experimenting with new materials, techniques, and ways of communicating that I believe are unique to those involved in the arts.

I am also grateful for the community of fellow creatives and art lovers that we inherit and the connections that can be made simply by talking about, looking at, or experiencing art.

But sometimes I think the most important thing that I get from being an artist is this: a reason to spend time.

Time outside, painting en plein air;
Time using my hands, avoiding endless scrolling;
Time letting myself fail, exploring new things;
Time being thoughtful, slowing down, doing something I love.