RESUME
John Douglas Peters, (OPA), b. 1948, holds a Bachelor of Arts (1971) from the University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH. During his last year at the University, he was designated an Undergraduate Fellow of the Arts, the sole Fellow designee at the University in 1971. His mentors were Dan Valenza (sculpture) and John Hatch (painting). Mr. Peters also attended the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan.
During the early years of his career, he sculpted using all standard materials, but concentrated on wood and bronze. During this time, he taught sculpture in the Residents Program at the University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio.
In the late 1980's, he began expressing his "sculptural forms" in strongly colored paper cutout collages, which are highly sought after and largely unavailable today. See Bell Rock below.
In the early 1990's, he took out his paint kit and put 20-year-old paints and brushes to work. The past twenty years, with oils, have been the most exciting and productive of his career.
John's paintings are strong on form, color and composition. Sometimes appearing bright, joyous and simple on first viewing, there is often a subtle sub-text of comment, values or questions that give his work a far greater value than the obvious decorative power of his pieces.
In 1998, he was selected for inclusion in the Encyclopedia of Living Artists, 11th Edition.
In 2000, he was made an associate in Oil Painters of America (OPA). He has also been listed in Who's Who of American Art, since the 2003 edition.
In September of 2001, John had a one-man show of over 50 oil paintings of circus subjects under the title "The Peters Circus" at the Dolan Center Gallery in Long Island, NY. Typical of his work, the circus scenes, situations and people were strong in form, color, humor and danger. One reviewer characterized his work as "abstract realism." Although a seeming oxymoron, "abstract realism" may be a fair designation. Peters considers himself a Modernist.
In December 2001, John had his first Detroit show at the City Gallery in Detroit's First National Bank Building.
(from Circus Series)
In June of 2002, John had a one-man show of over 40 oil paintings of fruit, flowers and landscapes at the Ambleside Gallery in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. The landscapes were of western wheat fields under bright and burning skies. The fruit and flowers were whimsical, upbeat and strongly sculptural in form.
On August 26, 2002, John opened a one-man show at The Cascades in Telluride, Colorado, in conjunction with the 2002 Telluride Film Festival. The same year, John’s painting "Red Dancer" was selected as the cover art for the invitation and program cover, for the Florida ACLU Annual Meeting, Miami, Florida.
In August 2004, John was selected as a "Chelsea Global Showcase Competition Winner". His work was shown August 3 - 24, 2004 at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, New York, NY. His winning submission is published in Art Aquisitor, Vol. 3, No. 1 (2005).
Between March 12 and 31, 2005, John's work was exhibited at the New Smyrna Beach Gallery, New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
In May 2005, John's work was shown at the 2005 Gallery Show, "Blooms, Bugs, and Beasts Exhibition" at the Scarab Club, Detroit, Michigan. His work was published in Real Detroit, May 25-31, 2005.
In May 2006, John's work was again selected for inclusion in the 2006 Gallery Show at the Scarab Club, Detroit, Michigan.
In September 2006, five of John's paintings were included in a show titled Horse Power at the Biddle Gallery in Wyandotte, Michigan.
In October 2006, John's work was selected for inclusion in the 2006 Silver Medal Exhibition of the Scarab Club, Detroit, Michigan.
In January 2007, John's work was published in the prestigious New Art International (book) 2007 edition.
In November, 2008, John's work was selected for inclusion in the 2008, 95th Annual Gold Medal Competition at the Scarab Club, Detroit, Michigan.
During the summer of 2009 John worked with the Freer Gallery of the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. to replicate 12 paintings by Abbott Handerson Thayer, Thomas Dewing and Dwight Tryon, for reinstallation in their original site, the Charles Lang Freer mansion (1890) now owned by Wayne State University in Detroit, MI.
In December, 2009, John's portrait "Claudia" was selected for inclusion in the 2009, 96th Annual Gold Medal Competition at the Scarab Club, Detroit, MI.
John's painting "Pink Lake" was also selected for publication in SCARAB, Volume 1, Arts Annual (2009) published by the Scarab Club in Detroit, MI.
In 2010, John's painting "Drifting" (Bay of Naples) was accessioned into the permanent collection of the Arab American National Museum during the summer of 2010.
In December, 2010, John's painting "Bad Day" (Individuals Series) was selected for inclusion in the 2010, 97th Annual Gold Medal Competition at the Scarab Club, Detroit, MI.
John's painting "Painted Turtle" was also selected for publication in SCARAB, Volume 2, Arts Annual (2010) published by the Scarab Club in Detroit, MI.
Although John has not shown his sculpture for over 30 years, a political piece, titled "American Middle Class 2008" was included in the Working Class Heroes Exhibition, Scarab Club Show, 2011.
John's painting "Night Lace" was selected for inclusion in the 98th Annual Gold Medal Exhibition at the Scarab Club, Detroit, MI and was shown from November 2011 through January 2012.
John's paintings and sculptures were exhibited in New York at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery's group show between September 28 and October 30, 2012. This fine gallery in N.Y.'s Chelsea Gallery District now represents John's work.
John's painting "Magic" was selected for inclusion in the 99th Annual Gold Medal Exhibition at the Scarab Club, Detroit, MI and was shown from November 21 - December 29, 2012.
John's paintings "Inside Dr. Mesmer's Hot Air Balloon" and "Mr. Freer" were selected for publication in SCARAB, Volume 4, Arts Annual (2012) published by the Scarab Club in Detroit, MI.
John and four of his paintings were also featured in Art Aquisitor, Vol. 10, No. 2 (Winter 2012 - 2013).
John's painting "Through the Birches" was included in the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery's 2013 Calendar.
John's work was shown at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery's LaDolce Vita- Printemps Fête show in Chelsea, New York, NY between April 5 - April 30, 2013.
From October 4 - November 5, 2013, John's work was shown at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery in Chelsea, New York. A standout from that show was "Denali Lights", an aurora borealis over Mt. Denali in Alaska.
In November, John's work was included in the 100th Gold Medal Show of the Scarab Club in Detroit, Michigan. "An Early Morning Run" captures the Presidential Mountain Range in New Hampshire and represents John's recent landscape paintings from that show.
In the spring of 2014, John's work was published in Art Acquisitor, Vol. 11, No. 1 (2014).
John's paintings "An Early Season Run" and "Autumn Sentinel" were included in the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery's 2014 Calendar.
John's new work was shown at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery's Masquerade Magique show in Chelsea, New York between March 21 - April 29, 2014.
John and four of his paintings were featured in Art Aquisitor, Vol. 10, No. 2 Spring (2014).
In April 2014, John worked with the Freer Gallery of the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. to replicate Early Spring New England, by Dwight Tryon for reinstallation in its original site, the Charles Lang Freer mansion (1890) now owned by Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.
In September 2014, John's work "Checking In" was accessioned into the art collection of Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey.
John's new work was shown at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery's fall show in Chelsea, New York, between October 3 - November 4, 2014.
In December 2014, John's work, "Enjoying Jackson Lake" was included in the 101st Gold Medal Show of the Scarab Club in Detroit, Michigan.
John and five of his paintings were featured in Art Acquistor, Vol. 11, No. 1 Winter (2015).
John's painting "Snowfall in Mt. Washington Valley" was included in the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery's 2015 Calendar.
John's new work was shown at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery Masquerade Magique Show in Chelsea, New York, between March 20-April 28, 2015.
In April 2015 John's work "Snake River" was accessioned into the art collection of Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.
John's new work was shown at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery "Halloween Masquerade" show in Chelsea, New York between October 9 - November 10, 2015.
John's new work was shown at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery show in Chelsea, New York between December 11, 2015 - January 26, 2016.
His painting "Dance of Lilies" was included in the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery's 2016 Calendar.
John's new work was shown at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery show in Chelsea, New York between May 6 - June 14, 2016.
John and five of his paintings were featured in Art Aquisitor, Vol. 14, No. 1, 2016.
John's "Eye" paintings were shown in an exhibition titled "LOOK, Come See What Watches You" at Detroit's Scarab Club, August 31 - October 15, 2016.
John's New work was shown at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery's fall show in Chelsea, New York between September 31 - November 1, 2016.
John and five of his paintings were featured in Art Aquisitor, Vol. 15, No. 1, 2017.
John's new work, using metal leaf, gold leaf, and oil on canvas was shown at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery's spring show in Chelsea, New York between May 5 - June 14, 2017.
John's new work was shown at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery's fall show between October 4 - November 7, 2017 in Chelsea, New York.
John and his wife, Christine Consales, reside in the Detroit area. He is represented by both The Amsterdam Whitney Gallery and the Scarab Club.
John's new work was shown at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery's spring show between May 5 - June 14, 2018 in Chelsea, New York.
During the summer of 2018 John worked with the Freer Gallery of the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. to replicate 3 paintings by James M. Whistler for reinstallation in their original site, the Charles Lang Freer mansion, in Detroit, Michigan.
John's new work was shown at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery's fall show October 3-31, 2018
In November 2018, John's work, Colorado Aspen, was included in the 105th Gold Medal Show of the Scarab Club in Detroit, Michigan.
John's new work was shown at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery's winter show February 1 - March 2019 in Chelsea, New York.
John's new work was shown at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery's spring show May 10 - June 12, 2019, in Chelsea, New York.
John's new work was shown at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery's fall show October 4 - November 1, 2019 in Chelsea, New York.
A retrospective show of John's work was shown at the Pontiac Creative Arts Center December 23, 2019 - January 25, 2020 in Pontiac, Michigan.
John's work was selected for publication in SCARAB, Volume 9, Arts Annual (2020) published by the Scarab Club.
From September 2020 - March 2021, John's work was shown at the Detroit Athletic Club.
John's work was shown at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery in Chelsea, New York, NY from October 1, 2020 - December 1, 2020.
John's new work was shown at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery's spring show April 8 - June 5, 2020 in Chelsea New York.
John's new work was shown at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery's summer show June 12 - September 15, 2021 in Chelsea New York.
John's new work was shown at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery's fall show October 9 - December 31, 2021 in Chelsea New York.
John's work was shown in the 108th Annual Gold Medal Exhibition, November 19 - December 31, 2021.
John's work was selected for publication in SCARAB, Volume 10, Arts Annual (2021).
John's new work was shown at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery's summer show June 11 - September 15, 2022 in Chelsea New York.
John's work was selected for publication in SCARAB, Volume 11, Arts Annual (2022) published by the Scarab Club.
John's new work was shown at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery's fall show October 8 - December 31, 2022 in Chelsea New York.
John's work was selected for publication in SCARAB, Volume 12, Arts Annual (2023).
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Purchasing Info
MEMBERSHIPS
COMMISSIONS
- Center for Humanistic Studies, Bloomfield Hills, MI
- Inns at Ferry Street, Detroit, MI
- Charfoos & Christensen, P.C., Detroit, MI
- Jeffrey and Sharon Buza, Cleveland, OH
- Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, Royal Oak, MI
- Ted and Kathy Kedzierski, Grosse Pointe,
- Serena Ury, Cincinnati, OH
CURATIONS
- John co-curated "Images of New Hampshire & Maine, The Hand-Painted Photographs of Charles H. Sawyer (1868-1954)" at the Woodman Museum, Dover, New Hampshire, April 2 - June 12, 2016
- John co-curated with Robert Edwards "Corvette Art, American Dreaming: 7 Generations and Beyond" at the Scarab Club, Detroit, MI, January 4 - February 18, 2017
PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
- Mandt Brothers Productions, Hollywood, California
- David Christensen, Danish Counsel, Detroit, Michigan
- Heland Collection, Richmond, Virginia
- Dr. Dennis Gross Collection, Orlando, Florida
- Charfoos Collection, Grosse Pointe, Michigan
- Robert I. Watson, Gainesville, Florida
- Chris and Sheila Hilbert, Richmond, Virginia
- John Adams, Durham, New Hampshire
- Dr. Michael Harbut, Huntington Woods, Michigan
- Jeffrey and Linda Miller, Palm City, Florida
- David and Helen Dickinson, Southfield, Michigan
- Adam Parker, New York, NY
- James and Beverly Marks, Jonesville, Michigan
- Janet Bavicchi, New London, New Hampshire
- Thomas Mcaskin, Bala, Ontario, Canada
- Joseph and Mary Jane Tytran, Belleair Bluff, Florida
- Christopher and Debbie Rupp, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Jeff and Sharon Buza, Cleveland, Ohio
- Ken and Stephanie Durbal, Van Buren Twp., Michigan
- Paul and Deborah Cooney, Jupiter, Florida
- John and Elizabeth Gillespie, Carmel, Indiana
- Richard and Nancy Hamm, Nashua, New Hampshire
- Sharon Lutz, Naples, Florida
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
- Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
- Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey
- Arab American National Museum, Dearborn, Michigan
- Woodman Museum, Dover, New Hampshire
PUBLICATIONS
PUBLICATIONS BY JOHN PETERS
- The Hand-Painted Photographs of CHARLES HENRY SAWYER, Treasure Press, (2002)
- Motor City Rock and Roll: The 1960s and 1970s, Arcadia Publishing, (2008)
- Hecker Smiley Mansion, 125 Years, Treasure Press, (2014)
- Peter's Circus, 50 Oil Paintings, Treasure Press, (2016)
- From Hecker-Smiley Mansion to Tierney Alumni House, 125 Years, Treasure Press, (2016)
- Corvette Art, American Dreaming: 7 Generations and Beyond, Treasure Press, (2017)
- The Art of Charles Alexander, Treasure Press, (2017)
- Paul Cooney Photographer of Floral Art at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Treasure Press, (2019)
- The Art of Michael Crane: Cats Rule, Treasure Press, (2019)
- The Sculpture of Lois Teicher, Treasure Press, (2019)
- The Art of Daniel Loomis Valenza, Treasure Press, (2021)
- Charles Henry Sawyer's Vintage Hand-Painted Photographs, NEW HAMPSHIRE and Across North America, Treasure Press (2023)
PUBLICATIONS ABOUT JOHN PETERS
- Artistic Visions of John Peters, Amsterdam Whitney Publishing, (2014)
MEDIA
- Artist John Peters "Master of Magical Realism," YouTube, Kristal Hart, (2020)