Wearing denim bib overalls and a white T-shirt, John Mellencamp pulled up a stool and talked about his art.

The rocker from Indiana was visiting the Butler Institute of American Art Thursday night, where his new art exhibition, “John Mellencamp: Expressionist” is now on view.

About 100 invited guests crowded around a corner of one of the galleries, where Mellencamp answered questions posed by Butler Director Louis A. Zona.

If the artist’s attire was surprising in such a formal setting, well, that’s a hallmark of art, said Mellencamp.

“Art should surprise the artist,” he said. “If the artist is not surprised, then it’s something else.”

John Mellencamp’s upcoming art exhibition is larger than his first, a
reflection of his rising stock as an artist.

Titled “John Mellencamp: Expressionist,” the exhibition comprises more than 40 pieces. It opens Thursday and runs through Nov. 18 at the Butler Institute of American Art.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer had his first museum exhibition in 2013-14 at the Butler’s Trumbull branch. The new show is double the size, sprawling over two galleries on the second floor of the main museum on Wick Avenue.

“This one is more of a retrospective than the previous one,” said Louis A. Zona, executive director of the Butler and chief curator.

The new exhibition includes a few pieces that were in the first show. It also includes several montages and mixed media pieces.