BRIEF BIO/ARTIST STATEMENT
I began my professional career in 1982 as a family physician in rural Vermont. After 24 years, I left my practice of medicine to pursue a fulltime career in the visual arts. Initially, my paintings were realistic renderings of the figure with fruit, (Bearing Fruit), but my fascination with movement led me to painting the figure from aerial perspectives (The Overlooks) and to the composing and displaying of some of my works on a rotational frame (The RoFrame®) as with The RoFrame Overlooks.
Perspective in rendering the human figure continued to be an interest of mine, whether linear, aerial, or with views from below, which led to the sculptural photography pieces making up the series, Outside The Box, with my photographer-friend, David Lee Black.
After that, I entered into the realm of abstraction, with collages and assemblages like Time Pieces, compositions made from tree products like corks and paper with a cycle of lights illuminating them, showing time as a still, and as a continuously repeating pattern of light and shadow.
And most recently, I have been using chards of pastel in clear gesso to create pastel paintings that are highly textural.
Collaboration has been a unifying MO for all of my art-making, whether I make art in isolation (and collaboration occurs from the influence of the artwork I have seen) or in real time with visual artists and poets and photographers to create collages, books (No Staycation, Great Art Undone), and photographs. More recently, I have engaged the creativity of another pastel artist, Judy Albright, to collaborate together in a project of using collage to do a pastel underpainting.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
IAPS Master Circle Member (2015)
Vermont Pastel Society, President
EXHIBITIONS
Solo Exhibits (Recent)
Outside The Box featured in a retrospective of David Lee Black, U of RI, Providence, RI, Nov 2022, (Outside The Box: Attitude-Certain Doubt; Outside The Box: Poised On Point)
The RoFrame Overlooks, Whetstone Station, Brattleboro, VT, May 2022
Matthew J Peake: Time Pieces, Southern Vermont Art Center, Manchester, VT Aug-Sep 2021
Pastel Overlooks, Peter Havens, Brattleboro, VT, Apr-Oct 2021
Matthew J Peake: Just a Matter of Perspective, Castleton University Bank Gallery, Rutland, VT, Mar-May 2019
Matthew J. Peake: The RoFrame Overlooks, United People's Bank, Bellows Falls, VT, May 2018
Matthew J. Peake: Your Turn (The RoFrame Overlooks), Galatea Fine Art, Boston, MA,, Jan-Feb 2018
Matthew J. Peake: The Overlooks, United People's Bank, Bellows Falls, VT, Aug-Sep 2016
Matthew J. Peake: The Overlooks, Flat Iron Exchange, Bellows Falls, VT, November 30, 2015-January 20, 2016
Turn, Turn, Turn: An Interactive Exhibition featuring The RoFrame Overlooks, T.W. Wood Gallery, Montpelier, VT, Nov 2015-Jan 2016
Turn, Turn, Turn: An Interactive Exhibition featuring The RoFrame Overlooks, Crowell Gallery, Newfane, VT, Nov 2016
Matthew J. Peake: The Pastel Overlooks, Main Street Arts, Saxtons River, VT Jul-Aug 2015
Turn, Turn, Turn: An Interactive Exhibition, Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, VT, May-Jun 2015, featuring The RoFrame Overlooks
Group Exhibits (Recent)
VPS: SouthEast Hub Show, Crowell Gallery, Newfane, VT, Nov 2023 (On the Sunny Side, Black, White, and Red All Over)
VPS 2023 Juried Show, Long River Gallery, White River Junction, VT, Sep-Nov 2023 (String Therapy)
VPS Members’ Exhibition, Park McCullough House, North Bennington, VT, Jun-Oct 2023 (On the Sunny Side)
VPS: SouthEast Hub Show, Gallery 34, Brattleboro, VT, Nov 2022 (Sparklingly Original)
VPS 2022 Juried Show, Vermont Artisan Designs, Oct-Nov 2022 (Black and White and Red All Over; Bottle of Red)
Nuditas 2021: Exhibizone Online Juried Show Oct 2021 (Outside The Box: Surrealistic Play-Irony)
Creating Peace, Urban Arts and Culture Program, U of RI, Providence, RI Sep 2022 (Outside The Box: Attitude-Hopeless Reassurance)
Pure Color 2022: 6th Annual Online Juried Exhibition, Pastel Society of North Carolina, Sep 2022
Make Your Mark, Pastel Society of Southern California International Online Open Juried Exhibition, LA, CA, Aug 2022 (Black and White and Red All Over; Bottle of Red)
VPS Members’ Exhibition, Chaffee Art Center, Rutland, VT, Jun-Jul 2022 (Primaries, Primarily; Sparklingly Original)
“Now You See It….,” Studio Place Arts, Barre, VT Jun 2022 (Outside The Box: Attitude-Hopeless Reassurance)
Stick With Love, AVA Gallery, Lebanon, NH, Jan-Feb 2022 (Bearing Fruit #30; Bearing Fruit #28)
Exhibizone 2021, Online Juried Show, Sep-Oct 2021 (Die 1)
“Pastel Music:” VPS Members’ Exhibition, T.W. Wood Gallery, Montpelier, VT, Sep-Oct 2021
Textures 2021: Online Juried Show, Las Laguna Art Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA, Aug 2021
Pure Color 2021: 5th Annual Online Juried Exhibition, Pastel Society of NC, Aug 2021 (Citrus Scintillation)
Make Your Mark: Pastel Society of Southern California International Online Juried Exhibition, LA, CA Aug 2021 (BlueYellowGreen)
Looking Up, AVA Gallery, Lebanon, NH July 2021 (Outside The Box: Surrealistic Play-Irony (Below)
Marblehead Arts Association Juried Show “Variations,” Marblehead, MA, January 30-March 14, 2021
Vermont Pastel Society Online Juried Show, Vermont Pastel Society, Nov 15, 2020-Jan 31, 2021
· Barrett Art Center Juried Show, “New Directions,” Poughkeepsie, NY, Oct 10-Nov 14, 2020
· Connecticut Pastel Society 27th Annual National Juried Exhibition, “Renaissance in Pastel” Online Show, Oct 2020
· Berkshire Art Association Biennial Show, Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, Pittsfield, MA, Oct 2-Nov 20, 2020
· Pastel Society of North Carolina 4th Annual Online International Juried Exhibition of Pastel Paintings “Pure Color,” Sep 1-30, 2020
· Bromfield Gallery Online Juried Show “Sizzle,” Bromfield Gallery, Boston, MA Aug 1-31, 2020
· Catamount Arts Connect Juried Show, St. Johnsbury, VT Nov 2019-Jan 2020
· Cambridge Art Association Exhibition “Blue”, Cambridge, MA, Nov-Dec 2019
· Southern Vermont Art Center Juried Show, SVAC, Manchester, VT Oct-Dec 2019
· Human Gestures, Galatea Fine Art, Boston, MA, Oct 2019
· Vermont Pastel Society Members' Exhibition, T.W. Wood Gallery, Montpelier, VT Sep 2019
· Southern Vermont Art Center Members’ Summer Show, SVAC, Manchester, VT July 2019
· Vermont Pastel Society Juried Show, White River Craft Center, Randolph, VT May-Jul 2019
· Vermont Pastel Society Juried Show, Laumeister Art Center, Bennington, VT Sep-Nov 2018
· Southern Vermont Art Center Juried Show, SVAC, Manchester, VT August 2018
· Southern Vermont Art Center Members’ Summer Show, SVAC, Manchester, VT July 2018
· Vermont Pastel Society Members' Exhibition, Chaffee Art Center, Rutland, VT June 2018
· Vermont Pastel Society Juried Show, Coolidge Hotel, WRJ, VT Sep-Dec 2017
· Biennial Regional Jurors' Choice Competition, Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery, Keene, NH Jun-Sep 2017
· Vermont Pastel Society Members' Exhibition, Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, VT May 2017
· Vermont Pastel Society Juried Exhibition, Compass Music and Arts Center, Brandon, VT, Jun-Jul, 2016
· International Association of Pastel Societies 28th Juried Show, Salmagundi Club, NY, NY, Jun 2016
· Academic Artists' Association 66th Annual National Exhibition, Arts Center East, Vernon, CT, Apr-May 2016
· Vermont Pastel Society Members' Exhibition, Arts Alive, Burlington, VT Apr 2016
· Fragmented Reality, Agora Gallery, NY, NY Feb 2016
· Vermont Pastel Society Juried Exhibition, Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, VT, May 9-June 14, 2015
· Biennial Regional Jurors’ Choice Competition at the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery, Keene, NH, Jan-Mar 2015
AWARDS AND HONORS
Touchingly Textural Award in the VPS Members’ Exhibition, Chaffee Art Center, Rutland, VT Jun-Jul 2022 (Primaries, Primarily)
Bill Creevy Pastel Innovator Award, Make Your Mark: Pastel Society of Southern California International Online Juried Exhibition, LA, CA Aug 2021 (BlueYellowGreen)
Touchingly Textural Award in the VPS Members’ Exhibition, T.W. Wood Gallery, Montpelier, VT Jun-Jul 2021 (Citrus Scintillation)
Colorfully Crafted Award in the VPS Members’ Exhibition, SVAC, Manchester, VT Apr 2021 (Lemon Zinger)
Third Place in Bromfield Gallery Online Juried Show “Sizzle,” Bromfield Gallery, Boston, MA Aug 1-31, 2020 for Outside The Box: Surrealistic Play-Irony (below) and Outside The Box: Surrealistic Play-Gray Groom (above)
Honorable Mention Award in the SVAC Juried Show, SVAC, Manchester, VT Oct-Dec 2019 for Outside The Box: Surrealistic Play (Gray Groom)
Figuratively Speaking Award in the Vermont Pastel Society Members' Exhibition, T.W. Wood Gallery June 2019 for Me, Myself, and I
Best in Show in the Vermont Pastel Society Juried Show, Laumeister Art Center, Bennington, VT Sep-Nov 2018 for Overlook #35 Is That It?
“Seriously, Do a Series” Award in the Vermont Pastel Society Members' Exhibition, Rutland, VT June 2017 for Overlook #33 In Concert
Third Place in the Vermont Pastel Society Juried Show, White River Junction, VT Sep-Dec 2017 for Overlook #30 Duets
Most Figuratively Speaking Award in the Vermont Pastel Society Members' Exhibition, Manchester, VT May 2017 for Overlook #31 Saguaro with Dance
Second Place in the Vermont Pastel Society Juried Exhibition, Brandon, VT Jun-Jul 2016 for Overlook #26 Partners in Time
Most Figuratively Speaking Award in the Vermont Pastel Society Members' Exhibition, Burlington, VT for Overlook #24 Gravitas
Honorable Mention in the 25th IAPS Juried Exhibition-Webshow 2014 for Overlook #19 Shadow Play
Second Place in the Vermont Pastel Society Juried Exhibition, Windsor, VT, September/October 2014 for Overlook #18 Like It?
Fifth Place in the Monadnock Area Artists Association Exhibition, Jaffrey, NH, June/July 2013 for Overlook#8 “You Are Here”
Third Place in the Vermont Pastel Society Juried Exhibition, Jericho, VT, April/May 2013 for Overlook #7 “Honored in the Breach”
Best in Show at the 3rd Newfane Arts Show, Newfane, VT, July 2011 for Estranged Bedfellows.
First Place in Painting at the 2nd Newfane Arts Show, Newfane, VT July 2010 for Repose on Paul’s Ledges.
Best in Show for Pastel at the Lake Placid National Juried Art Competition, A Point of View Gallery, Lake Placid, NY September 2009 for Bearing Fruit #23.
First Honorable Mention at the 17th Annual National Pastel Painting Exhibition of the Pastel Society of New Mexico (PSNM), Albuquerque, NM, November, 2008 (Juried Show) for Bearing Fruit #17.
First Place at the Miller Art Center Judged Art Show, Springfield, VT, July 2008 for pastel Bearing Fruit #16
Mt Vision Pastel Co. Honorable Mention Award at the14th Annual National Pastel Painting Exhibition of the Pastel Society of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, November, 2005, for Prairie Longing.
First Place at the Keene Art Association Spring Exhibition 2005 for pastel Mocha Toes
Designed the Vermont Public Radio Mug for the Winter 2005 Fundraising Drive
GALLERIES
Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, VT
AVA Gallery, Lebanon, NH
Studio Place Arts, Barre, VT
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS
The Vermont Veterans' Home (2009): “Moose Crossing”