HeART Work: The Art of John Bukaty

Generously underwritten by the Blake Hawk Family and Gunnison Valley Health Foundation

Everything he has dreamed, everything he has felt, everything he has created – it all has led to this. John Bukaty will, for the first time, create his truest art for all to see on stage, where he has been heralded as a pioneering painter, a master of improvisation and precision. On the stage, Bukaty overcomes the childhood trauma of being labeled hyperactive and “slow.” Through his insatiable need to create, he also finds escape from the gravity of adulthood addictions.

Over the course of 80 unprecedented minutes, Bukaty’s one-man show, accompanied by live music, will culminate with seven live-painted pieces of art, each completed in less than a dozen minutes. The paintings will present the life and times of Bukaty through different themes of his life: the child, the father, the CEO, the recovering addict, the romantic, the rock star and the spiritualist. Like a rose growing out of concrete, Bukaty will reveal some of his innermost shame while painting out of the turmoil and into positivity and inner growth.

Over the past 25 years, Bukaty has been perfecting the art of live performance painting. But this display of three-dimensional prowess marks a new challenge, one he never has attempted. When the lights dim, and the spotlight shines, Bukaty will paint – at times messy and at times precisely – and create something unique and interactive with the audience. From the artist’s mind’s eye to the eyes of the beholders, the HeART of Bukaty will make for an evening both remarkable and unforgettable.

5:30pm | Doors

6:30pm | Performance

8:00pm | Mental Health Panel + Silent Auction

About John Bukaty 

John Bukaty is an American pioneer of the live painting movement. He began his career twenty years ago on canvas capturing weekly band performances at a Kansas City brewpub, but has since traveled to India, Ireland, Mexico, and beyond creating and sharing his work through mediums ranging from painting and sculpture to poetry and apparel.

Having risen from the ashes of trauma, addiction, heartbreak, and economic struggle, Bukaty’s feverish daily pursuit of art has been rewarded with opportunities to paint in some of the most historically significant and inspirational environments on Earth, most notably the Taj Mahal and the Vatican. With a rare vibrancy and purposeful dedication, Bukaty’s ability to harness his creative energy is unmatched. He has dedicated his life to serving art by living with creative intention, giving back to his community, and using his talents to connect with the world around him.