Many artists wouldn’t choose to leave a well-paying job in Milwaukee to pursue their art in Houston. Many artists don’t have the opportunity to showcase their works and projects in museums and shows across the city. Many artists might not have the drive and commitment to survive as a professional in the art world in 2024. Tay Butler, however, is not like many artists.
Humble Origins
Growing up in Milwaukee, Butler was always captivated by art. His childhood pastimes included drawing basketball players on the kitchen counter or writing short stories. Having the freedom to work in a creative outlet became essential to Butler even at an early age.
That desire carried on into adulthood when Butler decided to leave a steady, well-paying job in his hometown, to relocate himself and his family to Houston to fuel his creative fire.
“Leaving a six-figure boiler engineer job, to say that’s a big leap is an understatement”, said Butler. “Especially for a Black person to be that rooted in the so-called middle class, to leave that, go back to school; people thought I was crazy. They thought I was losing my mind. And a lot of people thought I was irresponsible because I had children.
“But they didn’t understand that I’m not limited to whatever my job is. Whatever I’m thinking of, whatever I can create, I have the capacity to do it. I just have to go out there and do it.”
Making a Change
Butler worked multiple jobs in Houston while searching for his creative outlet. After stocking shelves at H.E.B., and selling cars for three months, he decided to pursue a degree in graphic design at the University of Houston.
After receiving his degree Butler found his current day job as a professor at San Jacinto. Still, art is his main passion. Thankfully, Houston’s open and accepting art scene has made working Butler’s “day job” while also investing in his up-and-coming career as an artist, a dream.
“Houston is one of the best places to just cold start as an artist because it’s very supportive as a community. Something very different than some of the people I know that are in New York or Chicago or in LA. There, it’s a lot more cutthroat. People aren’t bad people, but they’re just too focused on themselves. It’s a lot of money. Houston, because it’s not as much of that, we’re able to be a little more community-driven. Plus you got the Southern hospitality, which is a real thing”.
Finding a Style
Butler’s style combines many artistic mediums, including collages, photography and painting. He enjoys telling stories and educating people through his work, and he says collage art is the best way to express himself to his audience.
“I wanted to talk about Milwaukee. I wanted to talk about Third Ward. I wanna talk about Fifth Ward. So, I realized my medium was collage; that’s what I’m really enthusiastic about. I love history. I love history books. I love old images. I go to historical societies. I go to libraries. I spend hundreds of dollars on old magazines and old newspapers. So, once I realized that I was into that, I just started collecting stuff.”
For the Culture
The most common theme or idea throughout Butler’s incredible works is Black culture. Whether it be his paintings, poetry readings, or live-action performances, staying true to the culture is a focal point in all of his art. However, the Houston transplant is particularly adept at exploring the positive and negative aspects of Black culture. His most recent focus is on the somewhat controversial relationship between Black people and basketball.
“My thing is this, basketball is used for the community, but it’s also used against the community. There are many great examples of Black men and coaches who have taken in troubled youth and, turning them around and transforming them into teammates and focused individuals. But we can’t ignore the fact that the government also used basketball to surveil Black bodies through something called midnight basketball.”
The program Butler is referring to was popularized in the early 90’s around the same time as the highly controversial 1994 crime bill, which has become notorious for helping kick-start the criminalization and mass incarceration of African Americans across the country.
Love/Hate Relationship with Basketball
Butler himself still is a basketball fan, following the Milwaukee Bucks and the Houston Rockets. Helping Butler to feel at home, he discovered that Bayou City has a very large and passionate Milwaukee basketball fan base that meets at the Toyota Center every year whenever the Bucks come to town.
He does wish, however, that younger Black people would explore other means of success outside of basketball in the community.
“I love basketball. I’ve been playing basketball all my life. I’ve had season tickets to the Bucks. I go to Rockets games all the time. But I also understand that the place that it has in the Black community is a little too large. There’s way too many people placing their fortunes and their futures into the game. What if more people were encouraged to do other passions they had? ….What if somebody had told me, ‘Hey, basketball, it ain’t for you, bro. Let’s pick that paintbrush up.’ I could’ve started doing art when I was 20 instead of 38.”
Older and wiser now, Butler is pursuing his childhood dreams as a child as an adult. With his recent residency now complete, he now looks toward the future, continuing to capture the hearts and minds of his audience wherever his art goes.