Mayor’s Blog 161

February 10, 2025
bridporttc
Mayor's Blog

January 10 – donation to BTC of a very unusual picture

My first and very pleasant engagement for the New Year was to gratefully receive a lovely piece of art created by Richard Butterworth, kindly donated to Bridport Town Council by his daughter, Sarah Butterworth.

I really love this. There is humour running through it too – do have a good close look when it’s displayed (could be in the hallway at Mountfield) but if another spot is chosen, just ask.

See enlarged and full picture below

Sarah describes it – (speaking in December ’23) “It’s of Bridport, depicting all the sites, and was done by my father Richard Butterworth, who died last year. He was a prolific, professional artist and lived here for a while. Prints were made of it and are for sale where on his more random days, the students painted in glue and created upside down pictures.

His work was shown at solo and joint exhibitions in London, Yorkshire, Dorset, Ireland and Spain. Some of Richard’s most memorable artworks include his posters of Andalusian cities, and his comic, surreal illustrations for Grones Dictionary of Music, ‘A Golden Treasury of Musical Rubbish’, achieved through a collaboration with his dear friend, Howard Burnham.

Richard spent his later years in Bridport before moving to Spain, and then back again to Bridport. He had 5 children, most of which went to art school. His daughter, Sarah, lives locally, she painted the 2011 mural for uckydoo Square, and is the founder of the community arts organisation, Emerald Ant.