Cancer center to hold Andrew Peters artist talk

"Ice Age Visitors," 2022, oil on canvas, by Andrew Peters

The UNMC Healing Arts Program will host an artist talk and gallery reception on May 2 with local artist Andrew Peters, whose work is featured in the exhibition “Andrew Peters: Moments of Discovery” at the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center.

The artist talk will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Gail and Mike Yanney Conference Center on the ground floor of the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center. The gallery viewing and a reception will follow in the main dining room.

Peters grew up immersed in nature in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where he often went hunting and fishing with his father in the Missouri River valley. As a young student, Peters was inspired by the accuracy and beauty of Karl Bodmer’s watercolors of the American wilderness at Joslyn Art Museum, and he was mentored in ecology at Fontenelle Forest Nature Center by naturalist James Malkowski.

These early experiences kindled his passion for travel and drawing nature from life. Peters’ travels led to plein air painting in Africa, Peru and Italy. For 10 years, he lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, creating hundreds of paintings while on the move capturing the fleeting effects of light and how it determines form.

“Peters will discuss his career as a plein air artist and his ability to capture the beauty of light and nature,” said Colleen Heavican Cass, Healing Arts curator. “He also will reveal the stories behind the works he created in this exhibition, each a scene he encountered in our area in the past year.”

“Andrew Peters: Moments of Discovery” is on view during regular visiting hours, 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., through Sept. 27. Admission is free. RSVP and questions to the Healing Arts Program.