WC Wisconsin News

Beneath the Fields, an exhibition of large-scale pencil drawings by artist Lois Peterson, will open at the Viterbo University Gallery on Wednesday, September 3. The exhibit will be available to visitors until Wednesday, November 5.

Peterson is based in Dakota, Minnesota, where she works from her studio near the Mississippi River. Her artwork often features dormant prairie plants and fallen tree segments as subjects.

“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,” Peterson said.

Peterson has shown her work both nationally and regionally. She has received several grants supporting her artistic practice from organizations such as the Blandin Foundation, Gustavus Adolphus College, and the Minnesota State Arts Board. Her experience includes being an invited guest artist in South Africa and teaching tile making in Italy. She has also served on various artist panels and acted as a juror for exhibitions and grant reviews.

Her academic background includes a bachelor’s degree in art education from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Texas Tech University with minors in drawing, art history, and museum studies. Peterson was a professor of art/art history at Gustavus Adolphus College from 1989 until her retirement in 2016. During her tenure there, she founded the college’s arts administration program.

A reception with Peterson is scheduled for Saturday, October 11 from 4–5:30 p.m., coinciding with Viterbo Days Alumni Weekend. Admission to the gallery is free. The gallery is located on the third floor of the Viterbo Fine Arts Center and is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. when school is in session. Additional information about upcoming exhibits can be found at www.viterbo.edu/gallery.