Erik L. Peterson is a public artist, sculptor, and museum educator living and working in Chicago. He is best known for his large-scale urban interventions and neon installations (The Oasis, above, Seep, and Inner State), signature edible ice cream sculptures (CreamCycle and Soft Palate), and public performances camouflaged within urban spaces (Checks and Balances, Two Tow'n and Square Dance). His work often subtly redefines viewers' relationships to their own vision and understanding of how their bodies interact within ordinary spaces. His large-scale sculptures and performances encourage people to become active participants in the creation of their own public and civic spaces. Additionally, Peterson is a founder of Hyde Park Kunstverein, a community museum and solo project space in Chicago and Qeej Hero, a trans-cultural video game starring the Hmong wind instrument called the qeej. 

 

 

EDUCATION

2010    Master of Fine Arts; University of Illinois at Chicago

2004    Bachelor of Fine Arts; Washington University in St. Louis

 

PUBLIC ART COMMISSIONS

2022     Chi-Town Chess    Ten reclaimed wood chess tables, community chess tournament. Commissioned by: Chicago DCASE

 

2021    Seep (Sky Blue)    90-foot long Neon Sculpture. Commissioned by: AMLI Residential

 

AMLI 808 Bike Room    Custom-designed wallpaper, aluminum signage, and mural. Commissioned by: AMLI Residential

 

2020     I Grow Nature Park      Hand-built reclaimed-wood nature playground. Commissioned by: I Grow Chicago, NFP

 

            Lathrop Mosaic Benches      Community centered seating, cast concrete.  Architreasures / Lathrop Homes

 

2019    Hexe Tables   Custom designed, reclaimd "hyper-local" wood tables. Commissioned by: Related Midwest; Chicago, IL

 

           Mary Crane Nature Playground      Hand-built reclaimed-wood nature playground. Commissioned by: Related Midwest

 

2018    Ashland   18-foot long Ash Wood Bench at Lane Beach. Commissioned by: City of Chicago's Year of Public Art

2016    The Oasis   Arts Club of Chicago; Chicago, IL

            SeepNFK   Downtown Norfolk Council; Norfolk, VA

2015    Tip Tap Tow   A+D Gallery; Columbia College; Chicago, IL

2014    Seep   40-foot long pink neon ooze. Commissioned by: EXPO CHICAGO; Chicago, IL

2013    Crushed Sculpture   Collection of Carroll Bogert; Lakeside, MI

      2012    Square Dance   City of Chicago, DCASE

2011    Two Tow’n   A+D Gallery; Columbia College; Chicago, IL

           Large Glass Company   A+D Gallery, Columbia College; Chicago, IL

2010    Inner State   University of Illinois at Chicago; Chicago, IL

2009    Archeological Jig   Eastern Illinois University; Charleston, IL

2004    Happy Animals   Grace Hill Low-Income Health Clinic; St. Louis, MO

2003    Face Value   Arts & Letters Commission; University City, MO

 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2018    Erik L. Peterson: Dirt   Bert Green Fine Art; Chicago, IL

2016    Fresh Sheet   Open House Contemporary; Chicago, IL

            Ink & Water   Project 1612; Peoria, IL

2015    Hafgerdingar   Bolt Gallery, Chicago Artists Coalition; Chicago, IL

            Ruin   Bert Green Fine Art; Chicago, IL

2014    Dimmer   Bolt Gallery, Chicago Artists Coalition; Chicago, IL

            Indulge Your Every Whim   EXPO CHICAGO; Chicago, IL

            Erik L. Peterson: Plop Art   Waubonsee Community College; Sugar Grove, IL

2012    Qeej Hero   Hmong Freedom Festival; St. Paul, MN

            SWWMYOSBL Hall of Fame   ACRE Projects; Chicago, IL

            The Middle   Hatch Projects; Chicago, IL

2011    Hall of Fame   Happy Collaborationists; Chicago, IL

 

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2023    The Factory  Open House Contemporary; Chicago, IL

 

2022    MDW Fair  Compound Yellow / MANA Contemporary; Chicago, IL

 

2020    Artists Run Chicago, 2.0    Hyde Park Art Center; Chicago, IL

2019    Intimacies and Influence     Open House Contemporary; Chicago, IL

   2018    12 Openings  Compound Yellow; Chicago, IL

               Print of the Month   Spudnik Press; Chicago, IL

               88th Artist Member Exhibition   Arts Club of Chicago; Chicago, IL

   2017    Infinite Games 50x50   Open House Contemporary; Chicago, IL

               Body Work    Ralph Arnold Gallery; Chicago, IL

               Snow Machines   The Franklin; Chicago, IL

   2016    Ontology of Influence   Des Lee Gallery; St. Louis, MO

               Storytelling: Hmong American Voices   Pick Anthropology Museum, NIU; DeKalb, IL

               100th Anniversary Members Show   Arts Club of Chicago; Chicago, IL

2015    Aglow   Work/Release; Norfolk, VA

            Bolt Preview 4   Bolt Gallery, Chicago Artists Coalition; Chicago, IL

            Thaw   Links Hall; Chicago, IL

            Speak to Me   FORM: Art + Floral; Chicago, IL

2014    Cargo Space (traveling exhibition)  INOVA, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI; A+D  Gallery, Columbia College; Chicago,

IL, and Heuser Art Gallery, Bradley University; Peoria, IL

            Soft Drugs   DFBRL8R; Chicago, IL

            Bolt Preview 3   Bolt Residency, Chicago Artists Coalition

2013    Rube Goldberg’s Ghost   Glass Curtain Gallery, Columbia College Chicago

2012    Sic Transit Gloria Mundi   Chicago Cultural Center; Chicago, IL

            Simultaneous Narrative   Out of Site/Happy Collaborationists; Chicago, IL

            Locality   Hatch Projects, Chicago Artists Coalition

            Starving Artist   Chicago Artists Coalition; Chicago, IL

            Thaw   Links Hall; Chicago, IL

            Opening the Black Box   Sullivan Gallery; Chicago, IL

            On Making Things Matter   Southside Hub of Production; Chicago, IL

2011    Pine Feather Period   Hatch Projects, Chicago Artists Coalition

            Running Room   A+D Gallery, Columbia College; Chicago, IL

            Taste/See   National Ornamental Metal Museum; Memphis, TN      

            Phosphorus, Food & Our Future   Step Gallery, Arizona State University; Tempe, AZ

2010    Stay In Your Lane   Swimming Pool Project Space; Chicago, IL

            Emerging Illinois Artists   McLean County Arts Center; Bloomington, IL

            Game Play   University of Nebraska at Omaha; Omaha, NE

            MFA Thesis Show   Gallery 400, University of Illinois at Chicago

2009    Union League MFA Exhibition   Union League Foundation; Chicago, IL

2008    Collection/Collection   Mess Hall; Chicago, IL

            Lawn Nation   The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum; Chicago, IL

            Science Fair   Rock Paper Scissors Gallery; Oakland, CA

            Teaching Artists: Living/Working   Museum of Contemporary Art; Chicago, IL

2007    Common Ground   Westchester Community College; Valhalla, NY

            Turning Points   Gallery Project; Ann Arbor, MI

2006    Four Footed   Ormond Art Museum; Ormond Beach, FL

            Cranbrook Science Fair   Forum Gallery; Bloomfield Hills, MI

 

HONORS & AWARDS

2021    Neighborhood Access Program (NAP) Grant ($48,000)   City of Chicago: Dept. of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

2015    Bolt Residency Mentorship   Chicago Artists Coalition; Chicago, IL

2014    Special Project (Seep)   EXPO CHICAGO; Chicago IL

            Juried Solo Show   EXPO CHICAGO + Chicago Artists Coalition (Juror: Kate Nesin, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art; Art Institute of Chicago)

2013    IAP Grant   City of Chicago, DCASE

            Bolt Residency   Chicago Artists Coalition; Chicago, IL

2012    CAAP Grant   DCASE; Chicago, IL

            Featured Artist   Starving Artist Benefit, Chicago Artists Coalition

2011    Propeller Fund Grant   Gallery 400 and threewalls, HPK

            Hatch Projects   Chicago Artists Coalition; Chicago, IL

2010    Propeller Fund Grant   Gallery 400 and threewalls, Qeej Hero

 

RECENT PRESS

2016    Bad At Sports. Erik L. Peterson and Open House Contemporary, Episode 560 (9/21/16)

            Girgenti, Maria. In Profile: Erik L. Peterson, Newcity (2/15/16)

2015    Scaccia, Jesse. Stripclub Dali: Next Big Piece of Public Art to Hit the NEON is Seep, Alt Daily (12/16/15)

Scaccia, Jesse. Neon Exhibit to Open in the Historic Texaco Building, Alt Daily (3/20/15)

2014    Mercurio, Franck. Local Artists Featured at EXPO CHICAGO, Chicago Gallery News (9/19/14)

            Sierzputowski, Kate. Review: Cargo Space / A+D Gallery, Newcity (9/12/14)

2012
  Worley, Sam. Artists Amanda Greive and Erik Peterson Meet in the Middle, Chicago Reader (4/19/12)


2011
  Hazel, Tempestt. Running Room with Erik Peterson, 60 Inches From Center (6/27/11)