If you frequent the third floor of the Fine Arts Center, you may have noticed a new art exhibit pop up, one full of incredibly specific art of wood, of trees and more abstract pieces. From jazz students walking off their foot cramps to ceramics students studying for an assignment, many have walked through this exhibit, generating an exciting buzz around campus.
Lois Peterson brought her exhibit, titled “Beneath the Fields” from her home along the banks of the Mississippi River, in Dakota, Minnesota. Peterson has an extensive history in the world of art. Throughout her career, she has taught at Pacific Lutheran University in Washington, and Gustavus in Minnesota, even establishing an arts administration program at Gustavus, as well as her academic career in the United States. She has also worked internationally, teaching tile making in Italy and serving as an invited guest in South Africa.
Peterson is environmentally conscious and uses her art to portray not only her past but also her hope for the future. Peterson elaborates more on her process: “Through the act of drawing, I search to understand my place and identity as a rural artist, a person with an agricultural history, and a person aware of an ecosystem in need of help.”
Lois Peterson’s “Beneath the fields” brings a fresh perspective to campus that many from rural and artistic backgrounds can see themselves in. Jillian Arthur, a sophomore music theatre major, from Sussex, Wisconsin, frequents the art exhibit in her free time. She states, “Something that I really enjoy is like looking at what the artist named the piece, and like coming up with my own interpretation of what that could be, because in text analysis, we talk so much about symbolism.” Lois Peterson’s artwork is deeply influenced by her own life experiences and has brought that perspective to all that decide to waltz through the third floor of the Fine Arts Center.
The exhibit stays on campus until Nov. 5, with an artist reception on Oct. 11 from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. in the gallery.
