Join Lanesboro Arts in celebrating the opening reception for “Traces of a Prairie,“ an exhibition of drawings by Lois Peterson. This series of large-scale works in graphite depicts 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.
Stop by the Lanesboro Arts Gallery to see these beautiful drawings, enjoy live music from Kristen Eggen & Michael McGrath, and hear from Lois herself! The first 100 guests will receive native plant seedlings courtesy of the artist, and all guests may also take home free seeds and instructions from Prairie Moon Nursery in Winona.
“Traces of a Prairie” will run from August 17th to October 20th.
Through creating detailed, large-scale drawings of dormant, native prairie plants, as well as fallen segments of trees, Lois Peterson attempts to recognize the vital role they hold in maintaining a critical balance in our natural environment. 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.
The imagery found in Lois Peterson’s art comes to her slowly over the course of several years, or perhaps more accurately, over the course of a lifetime. Peterson grew up in a fourth-generation farming family and now recognizes her family’s history regarding the devastation inflicted on prairies and woodlands.
For the past ten years, Peterson has been engaged with reintroducing a small prairie and planting native trees on her own land in Dakota, Minnesota along the banks of the Mississippi River. The value of natural prairies for our ecosystems is always in her thoughts when she is engaged with drawing.
Always free and open to the public, the Lanesboro Arts Exhibition Gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm plus Sundays from 11 am – 3 pm through August 31st.
Featured Image: detail from Listening to the Prairie #1 by Lois Peterson
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.