Arts & Entertainment

Jeep Art: Limited Edition Print Supports Butler Bantam Jeep Festival

Proceeds from the sale also benefit the Associated Artists of Butler County and the Butler County Historical Society.

Here's a unique way to forever remember the second-annual , which takes place Aug. 10-12 in Butler and is expected to attract more than 1,500 Jeeps to the area. 

Friends of the Festival, a group dedicated to ensuring the success of the jeep event, is selling a limited-edition print made from an original painting created for this year's festival.

Artist George Gaadt created a vibrant painting featuring the 1940 Bantam Reconnaissance Car, the original jeep, alongside the Butler skyline. Only 300 hand-signed and numbered 16x20 prints were produced.

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Gaadt, who has a studio in Sewickley, is well known internationally for his paintings depicting military history. He also worked as an illustrator for the National Football League for 25 years and recently completed a series of paintings for the US Army. His art has been exhibited in New York City, England, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and China.

"This was a very exciting project to work on because military art has been my passion since I was very young," Gaadt said. "Wanting this art to have a very special look that would 'talk' to the viewer, I steered away from the old traditional vehicle look and chose a rich chromatic palette, giving it more character and becoming alive with color."

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The print was made in a four-color process lithography on a 65-pound Mohawk Avia Felt cover stock. It was printed by Broudy Printing Company in Pittsburgh on a four-color Heidelburg offset press. The print features foil embossing of a high-definition brass die to showcase the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival logo.

"We are honored that George was willing to share his talents with us to create this one-of-a-kind piece of art," said Patti Jo Lambert, event director. "Purchasing this beautiful, collectible piece of Butler jeep history is an easy way for individuals to support our efforts to execute another amazing event."

Butler artist Tom Panei created the first painting in the Friends of the Festival series in 2011.

Proceeds from the prints will support the festival as well as the Associated Artists of Butler County and the Butler County Historical Society. The prints are $100 each (plus $4 shipping and handling) and include a certificate of authenticity. They can be purchased in the store section of the festival's website at www.bantamjeepfestival.com.

Call the Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau at 724-234-2291 for more information.

-- Information and photo submitted by the Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau. Have news you'd like to share with Patch readers? Email information and photos to Editor Jessica Sinichak at jessica.sinichak@patch.com or visit our . 


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