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Press-quality photos are avilable at http://news.wwu.edu/go/doctype/1538/27546/.

Contact: Sarah Clark-Langager, Director of the Western Gallery, (360) 650-3963, Sarah.ClarkLangager@wwu.edu

BELLINGHAM - The Western Gallery will present "Ken Butler: Hybrid Visions" from Jan. 20 through March 14.

Bent Arm Violin, by Ken Butler

Born and raised in Portland, Ken Butler is a highly regarded mixed media artist, instrument builder, composer and musician.  His hybrid musical instruments, installations, and performances explore the interaction and transformation of common objects, sounds, and silence. 

"Ken Butler: Hybrid Visions" is a collection of Butler's unique instruments made out of such materials as antlers, machine guns, prosthetic limbs, and metal detectors. 

"The initial motivation for making my hybrids had very little to do with the idea of expanding the range of musical instruments. It was much more about a sculptural investigation and, to this day, remains more about the visual and poetic character of the instruments," Butler said. "There is something about using whatever is at hand ... and assembling them in references to head-neck-body shapes that resonates with me."  

Turntable Guitar, by Ken Butler

In conjunction with the exhibition, Butler will offer an evening performance followed by a lecture discussing his music and the process of creating his instruments.  Since the late 1980s, Butler has performed throughout the world at venues such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, as well as on PBS and NBC's "Tonight Show" with Jay Leno.  His musical style has been described as "Duchampian Dada meets hybrid Hindu Hendrix."

The performance and lecture will be held from 7-9 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 11 in the Western Gallery.  The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required as seating is limited.  Tickets are available through the WWU Box Office.

WWU Box Office hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and one hour prior to the performance.  For individual tickets or disability accommodations, contact the WWU Box Office, (360) 650-6146 or visit http://www.tickets.wwu.edu.

Organized by the Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University and the Art Gym at Marylhurst University, "Ken Butler: Hybrid Visions" has been supported in part by grants from the City of Salem's Transit Occupancy Tax funds and the Oregon Arts Commission.

Western Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, except for Wednesdays when the gallery is open until 8 p.m., and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.  For more exhibition details please visit http://westerngallery.wwu.edu/ or call (360) 650-3900.

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