“Traces of a Prairie” Exhibition of Drawings by Lois Peterson
August 17 – October 20
Gallery Talk with Dr. Melinda Knutson | Thursday | September 12 | 6-7:30 pm
Lanesboro Arts Gallery | 103 Parkway Ave. N | Lanesboro, MN
lanesboroarts.org/calendar/traces-of-a-prairie/
“Traces of a Prairie” is an exhibition of drawings by Lois Peterson. This series of large-scale works in graphite preserves the imagery of native prairie plants and woodland trees in exquisite detail. Her work ruminates on the impacts of crop farming on local ecosystems while honoring the beauty of a vanishing native landscape.
“Traces of a Prairie” will run from August 17th to October 20th at the Lanesboro Arts Exhibition Gallery, located in Lanesboro, MN. In a talk in conjunction with the exhibition, on Thursday, September 12th, Dr. Melinda Knutson will provide a tutorial on prairies and oak savannas in the Driftless Area, with tips on how to build your passion for prairies.
Through creating detailed, large-scale drawings of dormant, native prairie plants, as well as fallen segments of trees, Lois Peterson recognizes the vital role they hold in maintaining a critical balance in our natural environment. Creating the series of drawings in “Traces of a Prairie” has allowed her to mourn these native plants’ diminishing existence. Through both the act of drawing and the act of restoring land, she is acquiring an understanding of her place and identity as a rural artist, as a person with an agricultural history, and as a person aware of an ecosystem in need of help.
Peterson grew up in a fourth-generation farming family and now recognizes her family’s history regarding the devastation inflicted on prairies and woodlands. She grew up in a time when slight consideration was given to what had existed on the land before her family’s own personal fields of corn, hay, and oats. She was already deep into adulthood when she realized that her family, including herself, had financially gained roots through the plowing under of prairies and the cutting down of woodlands. Recognizing the negative impacts of farming practices was inevitable.
For the past thirteen years, Peterson and her husband have been engaged with establishing a small prairie and planting native trees on their land in Dakota, Minnesota along the banks of the Mississippi River.
Always free and open to the public, the Lanesboro Arts Exhibition Gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm.
Lois Peterson is a fiscal year 2024 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board.
Image: A drawing by Lois Peterson.
Lois Peterson is a member of the River Arts Alliance. To learn more about the benefits of membership, please visit: riverartsalliance.org/membership/.