The Butler Institute of American Art Adds Mateo Blanco Paintings to Collection

Two of artist Mateo Blanco’s signature works are now part of the permanent collection at The Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown. The internationally recognized artist — known for pieces that often explore the theme of politics, identity and the relationship between the ancestral and the modern — donated his works “Presidential Flag” and “Yellow Flag” to the museum. 

“Presidential Flag,” created with gold and platinum leaf, honors Blanco’s friendship with President George H.W. Bush, while “Yellow Flag” is a digital work from his acclaimed Flags series. Both works had previously been exhibited at The Butler Institute of American Art.

“Presidential Flag” by Mateo Blanco (photo courtesy of Wellons Communication)

“Art is a voice and a witness,” Blanco said in an Oct. 14, 2025, press release. “By donating these works to the Butler Institute, I ensure they become part of a shared cultural heritage accessible to all and preserved for the future.”

Founded in Youngstown in 1919, The Butler Institute of American Art was the first museum in the world to focus solely on American art. Blanco’s flag work highlights not just appealing art to explore, but also a message of history and culture.

“Yellow Flag” by Mateo Blanco (photo courtesy of Wellons Communication)

“It is such a daring direction for any artist to attempt such a highly charged theme as the flag ... We are pleased to have his artwork represented in the Butler’s permanent collection,” said Louis A. Zona, executive director of The Butler Institute of American Art, in the Oct. 14 2025, press release.

The Butler Museum of American Art now joins other institutions such as the Boca Raton Museum of Art in Florida and the MAJA Museum in Jericó, Columbia as institutions with Blanco’s works in their collections. The Columbian-American artist has been a resident of Orlando, Florida, for many years and studied at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. 

“To have my art included in the Butler Institute’s permanent collection — and to receive such recognition from Dr. Zona — is one of the greatest honors of my career,” Blanco said in the Oct, 14, 2025, release.

For more information about The Butler Institute of American Art, visit butlerart.com.

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