Image: New Britain Museum of American Art
The New Britain Museum of American Art has named Katie Butler the winner of its Dan North Walnut Hill Park Painting Contest, selecting her 2024 oil-on-canvas work 'Sledding at Sunset' for inclusion in the museum’s annual juried members’ exhibition, 'Nor’Easter'. The announcement was made in a museum email on July 20, with the museum congratulating Butler and thanking all artists who submitted work inspired by Walnut Hill Park.
'Sledding at Sunset' measures 18 by 24 inches. According to the museum, the painting will be on view in 'Nor’Easter' from August 15 through September 13, 2026. The museum identified 'Nor’Easter' as its annual juried members’ exhibition, positioning the contest winner within a larger showcase of member artwork later this summer.
The Walnut Hill Park competition centers on a familiar local subject: the historic park in New Britain. In its announcement, the museum said the submitted artworks captured the beauty of Walnut Hill Park, underscoring the park’s role as the contest’s shared point of reference. The museum did not provide additional details about the number of entries or the selection process in the material reviewed.
The contest result also extends the public life of Butler’s painting beyond the competition itself. By placing 'Sledding at Sunset' in 'Nor’Easter', the museum connects the winning work to its member exhibition program and offers a second venue for the piece’s display after the contest announcement. No further information about the artist was included in the source material.
The New Britain Museum of American Art, located in New Britain, frames the announcement within its ongoing programming as an institution devoted to American art. In the materials reviewed, the museum’s focus remained on the contest outcome, the selected painting, and the upcoming exhibition dates rather than on any broader curatorial statement.
'Sledding at Sunset' will be exhibited in 'Nor’Easter' at the New Britain Museum of American Art, August 15-September 13, 2026.
