Midnight Orienteer
- Amelia Biewald
- Mar 25
- 4 min read
Exhibition Dates: April 5th - April 27th, 2025
Reception: Saturday, April 5th, 6:00 - 9:00pm
Midnight Orienteer
New Work by Drew Peterson
In his first exhibition with Rosalux Gallery, artist and printmaker Drew Peterson presents a series of large-scale monoprints that mark the culmination of his studio work from 2013 to 2020. The eleven works in the show reflect a seven-year journey of discovery, growth, and sustained inquiry—spanning both life inside and outside the studio.
In the early stages of this body of work, Peterson found monoprinting to occupy a playful and experimental role in his studio practice. With less reliance on the technologies that had supported earlier work, the integration of analog printmaking processes with the immediacy of watercolor painting opened up new possibilities for exploration. This transition sparked a shift in the expressive nature of his imagery, enabling a deeper connection to the artist's hand and the personal narratives embedded within the work.
The portfolio of prints created during this period, which Peterson calls Waterworks, not only shaped his unique artistic methodology but also deepened his understanding of how to connect with the broader community, offering him a newfound sense of agency over his creative environment. As his practice evolved, the growing complexity of his work called for improvements in his studio space. In response, Peterson designed a studio capable of accommodating the increasing demands of his craft, while also fostering an environment conducive to collaboration with other artists.
This expansion of his creative space and vision eventually led to the founding of Entity Editions—a printmaking venture launched in 2018 that prioritizes collective creativity and artistic exchange.
Philosopher Rudolf Steiner’s concept of seven-year cycles of human development proposes that individuals move through distinct stages of growth and transformation, each defined by a specific set of physical, emotional, and intellectual shifts. According to this framework, each seven-year period marks a transition, gradually shaping an individual's capabilities, worldview, and sense of self. In parallel, an artist’s creative journey follows a comparable rhythm—though often less clearly delineated. Just as a person evolves through different stages of life, an artist’s work, voice, and sense of place in the world undergo cycles of refinement, exploration, and reinvention. These creative phases may not be as neatly mapped or as predictable as the stages of human development, but they are equally significant in the formation of the artist's identity and artistic trajectory.
Each period of artistic development can be seen as a “cycle” in its own right—an evolving expression of the artist’s growing understanding of their medium, their personal narrative, and their relationship to the world around them. In this sense, the artist's creative output mirrors a dynamic process of transformation, often responding to external influences, internal discoveries, and the shifting conditions of life both inside and outside the studio. Like the stages of human life, these creative cycles are not always linear or uniform, but instead represent a continual unfolding—a process of becoming.
“Most notable in this final series of works is the capacity each piece achieves. There is very little room to breathe and seldom a place for stillness. I lean heavy on my inclination to weave almost antithetical formal components together in ways that complicate space and order.
Admittedly, the work produced during this period has trended toward the maximal. Working in a large format of 36”x48” the series functions as a catch all for a multitude of memories, observations, and interactions. I am interested in the way emotions are experienced in the body and how I might represent them in visual form. Notions of rage, euphoria, joy, and solitude among other human conditions play out through a densely compiled sequence of layers. In building these compositions, I try to connect to a visceral reaction stored in my body. I ask where that feeling wants to go, how does it want to move. Is it sharp or hard edged? Does it want to meander? Mark making and drawing provide a formal answer to these questions. The series developed over the course of two years and coincided with an intensive and transformative period in my personal life. In this way the work has become diaristic—coded, yet expressive, full, and complex.”
Artist Bio:
Drew Peterson is an artist, educator, and collaborative printmaker based in Minneapolis. Growing up with the influence of artistic mentorship, Peterson benefitted from the guidance and support of professional teaching artists. That experience shapes his approach to artmaking and community connection where he pursues a balance between his family, his role at Juxtaposition Arts, his independent studio work, and collaborative print projects working with other artists. In 2018, Peterson developed Entity Editions + EDU--a fine art printmaking resource committed to the publication, production, and education of print media through collaboration with emerging artists, educational workshops, and consultation.
Peterson received his BFA from the University of Minnesota and attended the Yale Norfolk Summer School for Art before earning an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2013. He served as a lecturer in printmaking and drawing at the University of Minnesota, before taking a leadership position at Juxtaposition Arts. Peterson received Artist Initiative grants in 2011, 2018, and 2020 and an Arts Learning grant in 2017 from the Minnesota State Arts Board. He received a Next Step Grant through the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council and VAF grant from Midway Contemporary Art through the Andy Warhol Foundation and was a Mcknight fellow at Highpoint center for Printmaking in 2020.
His work has been shown in solo exhibitions at The Burnet Gallery, Public Functionary, Kiehle Gallery at St. Cloud State, Sabina Lee Gallery (Los Angeles), and Twist Gallery (Nashville). Recent group shows include Future Future at Hair and Nails (Minneapolis), Outstanding Affiliates at CC Gallery (University of Wyoming), and Octillo at Stella Elkins Gallery, Tyler School of Art.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drewpetersonart/
Rosalux Gallery hours are 12-4 PM on Saturdays and Sundays.
The gallery is located at 315 W 48th Street in Minneapolis. Rosalux is always free and open to the public.
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