Bio & CV
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)