Jim Butkus lives in Omaha, Nebraska and is retired from teaching photography at Metropolitan Community College. He received his undergraduate degree at Creighton University and attended graduate school at Rochester Institute of Technology. Butkus has been a working artist for the last 30 years and has participated in over 50 individual and group exhibitions held throughout the United States since 1980. He has also been the recipient of Nebraska Arts Council and National Endowment for the Arts regional fellowships. His work is held in various public and private collections including the University of Nebraska, Indiana University, Wright State University, and the George Eastman House.