Lion Painting by Artist from Golf Maine Park District Goes to TV Celeb

Majestic painting of a King of the Jungle finds home with television personality

A chance meeting last summer with Reute Butler, a member of the famous Butler Family who developed the Oak Brook Shopping Center and surrounding area, got Artist Al Menotti of Arlington Heights an invitation to create a painting for the one of Butler’s favorite charities, the Friends of Conservation (FOC). His painting was to be auctioned at its Gala held Oct. 15 at the Four Season Hotels in downtown Chicago. Menotti decided to paint an image of “Cecil”, the cherished African lion who was killed by a big game hunter under suspect circumstances, thus, creating a national outcry against the slaughter of protected animals. Menotti worked from a variety of images he found on the Internet and other sources.

At the Gala, Menotti sat with Reute, members of the Butler family, and Guest Speaker Jack Hanna, a famous TV personality known for his shows on wild animals and conservation. Later that evening, Hanna’s wife Suzi bought the painting as a gift for him since he had been admiring it all night.

As someone who has painted for over 50 years, Menotti still takes classes at the Golf Maine Park District. For the past 10 years, he has been under instructor Winnie Seibert of Park Ridge (pictured with Menotti).

For more information on the GMPD art classes visit www.gmpd.org or call 847-297-3000.