Butler Catholic School Welcomes Local Artist!

November 20, 2023

Butler Catholic School welcomed local artist Tom Panei Nov. 6 for a special presentation about his path to becoming a professional musician, artist, and denture technician!

Invited by principal John Hazur, Mr. Panei talked to students in kindergarten through eighth grade about how he discovered his passion for art and music. Using photos and artwork from his past, Mr. Panei's message to students was to try different activities and explore their interests as they search for ways to create.

"It's about trying new things," he explained. "Trying different things, to see what you like."

"Everybody has a different vision of what their art looks like," Mr. Hazur told students during the assembly. "We all have many different gifts and talents!"

Mr. Panei, whose artwork is displayed all across the country, has lent his gifts to BCS on more than one occasion. His restoration talents have been put to work preserving and fixing some of our school saint statues, including the Blessed Mother in the school grotto. As Mr. Panei told students, he treats every project as a way to use the gifts God has given him—whether he’s performing in a concert or carving dentures from wax.

"It's still a form of artwork and you still have to do your best, no matter what you do,” Mr. Panei said.

Mr. Panei’s work has been an important part of BCS for a long time. Years ago, he even gifted the school one of his first religious pieces: a life-sized chalk-and-wood crucifix.

Some advice Mr. Panei has for students is to be patient as they discover their skills and interests. Before he became a professional artist with a passion for chalk pastels-on-wood, he worked at Armco Steel, went to flight school, explored different mediums, and tried different instruments.

“You never know what you're going to do when you're this age,” he told students. “See what you like.”