About
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Dr Meg Peterson is a Chicago-born, London-based artist, curator, project director and educator whose work has taken her around the globe to use art as a means of sharing ideas, connecting people and improving communities through projects, programmes, workshops and exhibitions she designs and implements. After working as a teacher in the US, Ghana, Italy and the UK for six years, she founded 21 Artists, a project that focuses on art and social change through arts-based interventions, social impact evaluation and community consultation. She completed her doctorate in September 2018, focusing on how entrepreneurship can be a means of unlocking opportunity through artistic innovation, social change, institutional development and economic prosperity.
Her artwork consists mostly of portraiture- as a means of documentation and celebrating people from all walks of life. In her work as a curator, she is interested in how art can be a means of not only beautification in the public realm but also as a way to improve opportunities for local people to build skills, come together and improve the economic and social value of their neighbourhood from the inside out. |
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Facets
In my varied career, I have been lucky enough to have diverse opportunities that coincide with my wide variety of interests and passions. At the heart of nearly everything I've done, however, is the drive to use art and creativity for social change. Whether it's research, running projects, evaluating social impact of creative workshops or working as an artist, the belief that creativity is an essential part of making the world a better place is my guiding principle. The brief descriptions below outline some of the facets of my portfolio career to date.
RESEARCH & EVALUATION
Meg manages and develops evaluation frameworks for social change projects as part of 21 Artists. These projects have included Agents of Creative Change, The Agency, Beatbox Academy, Moving Roots and Creative Museums at Battersea Arts Centre and developing social impact evaluation frameworks for London-based theatre company, Sounds Like Chaos and Kay Rufai's S.M.I.L.E.-ing Boys Project, LIFT's Concept Touring report and more. For The Agency, she has designed and implemented a robust social impact evaluation framework that achieved Project Oracle's Standard 2 Levels of Evidence. Click here to see the Creative Museums report, and here for The Agency's Interim Report.
Meg manages and develops evaluation frameworks for social change projects as part of 21 Artists. These projects have included Agents of Creative Change, The Agency, Beatbox Academy, Moving Roots and Creative Museums at Battersea Arts Centre and developing social impact evaluation frameworks for London-based theatre company, Sounds Like Chaos and Kay Rufai's S.M.I.L.E.-ing Boys Project, LIFT's Concept Touring report and more. For The Agency, she has designed and implemented a robust social impact evaluation framework that achieved Project Oracle's Standard 2 Levels of Evidence. Click here to see the Creative Museums report, and here for The Agency's Interim Report.
LECTURER
Before founding 21 Artists, Meg worked as an arts educator for four years in the city of Chicago's schools, community centres and arts institutions in addition to other teaching positions in Italy, Ghana and the UK. She continues to develop programming and workshops in collaboration with project partners and featured artists through 21 Artists. She has also lectured at universities such as King's College London, University of Roehampton and University of Exeter and independent organisations such as The National Trust, The Watershed and The Rattle. She is now a full-time lecturer at King's College London in the Department for Culture, Media and the Creative Industries.
Before founding 21 Artists, Meg worked as an arts educator for four years in the city of Chicago's schools, community centres and arts institutions in addition to other teaching positions in Italy, Ghana and the UK. She continues to develop programming and workshops in collaboration with project partners and featured artists through 21 Artists. She has also lectured at universities such as King's College London, University of Roehampton and University of Exeter and independent organisations such as The National Trust, The Watershed and The Rattle. She is now a full-time lecturer at King's College London in the Department for Culture, Media and the Creative Industries.
ARTS PRACTICE
With a BA in Fine Art from the University of Oregon, Meg has been a practising professional artist since graduation in 2006. Working mostly in photography, painting and illustration her current work often centred around the project I founded, 21 Artists with urban landscapes and portraiture dominating her subject choices. I have done many commissions over the years and most recently I have combined my work as an evaluator with illustration, doing drawings for reports.
With a BA in Fine Art from the University of Oregon, Meg has been a practising professional artist since graduation in 2006. Working mostly in photography, painting and illustration her current work often centred around the project I founded, 21 Artists with urban landscapes and portraiture dominating her subject choices. I have done many commissions over the years and most recently I have combined my work as an evaluator with illustration, doing drawings for reports.
CURATOR AND PROJECT DIRECTOR
Since founding 21 Artists in October 2012, she has continued to be the driving creative and organisational force behind the project, leading teams of artists, community partners and collaborators through four projects with more in their planning phases. In addition to 21 Artists, she havs directed youth programmes throughout diverse communities in the city of Chicago and have curated a number of other exhibitions in Chicago and London including group exhibitions of my own work, other artists' work and student work.
Since founding 21 Artists in October 2012, she has continued to be the driving creative and organisational force behind the project, leading teams of artists, community partners and collaborators through four projects with more in their planning phases. In addition to 21 Artists, she havs directed youth programmes throughout diverse communities in the city of Chicago and have curated a number of other exhibitions in Chicago and London including group exhibitions of my own work, other artists' work and student work.
Selected Exhibitions
2023- Visual Narratives of Relocation, London
2019- Barrio- Southwark Playhouse, London
2018- Barrio- Southwark Playhouse, London
2014-5- 21 Artists: OVERHE(a)R(e)- Chicago and London ~(curated)
2013- 21 Artists: London’s East End (curated and exhibited)
2013- 21 Artists: Blackfriars (curated and exhibited)
2013- 21 Artists: Chicago (curated and exhibited)
2008-2014- ‘Student Show’ at Indian Boundary Park for Summer Arts Camp, Chicago (curated)
2011- ‘Local Talent’ featured artist for Arts Series, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago IL, USA
2011- Design Cloud’s “Opening Gala” in Chicago, IL, USA
2010- Featured Visual Artist “Artistically Linked Anniversary Celebration” in Chicago, USA
2009- Featured Visual Artist “Artistically Linked” in Chicago IL, USA
2009-10 ‘The Arts Collide I-III: An Audiovisual Experience’, Chicago IL, USA (curated and exhibited)
2009- ‘An Apple A Day: Reflections on the Urban Education System’ at Efebos Gallery and Subterranean, Chicago, USA
2006- ‘Art is Life: Series from Ghana’, photographic essay of travels in Africa, Aperture Gallery, Eugene, USA
Selected Group Exhibitions
2005-6- Environmental Art exhibition for the HOPES Conference, a yearly sustainability conference at the University of Oregon, Eugene OR (curated)
2023- Visual Narratives of Relocation, London
2019- Barrio- Southwark Playhouse, London
2018- Barrio- Southwark Playhouse, London
2014-5- 21 Artists: OVERHE(a)R(e)- Chicago and London ~(curated)
2013- 21 Artists: London’s East End (curated and exhibited)
2013- 21 Artists: Blackfriars (curated and exhibited)
2013- 21 Artists: Chicago (curated and exhibited)
2008-2014- ‘Student Show’ at Indian Boundary Park for Summer Arts Camp, Chicago (curated)
2011- ‘Local Talent’ featured artist for Arts Series, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago IL, USA
2011- Design Cloud’s “Opening Gala” in Chicago, IL, USA
2010- Featured Visual Artist “Artistically Linked Anniversary Celebration” in Chicago, USA
2009- Featured Visual Artist “Artistically Linked” in Chicago IL, USA
2009-10 ‘The Arts Collide I-III: An Audiovisual Experience’, Chicago IL, USA (curated and exhibited)
2009- ‘An Apple A Day: Reflections on the Urban Education System’ at Efebos Gallery and Subterranean, Chicago, USA
2006- ‘Art is Life: Series from Ghana’, photographic essay of travels in Africa, Aperture Gallery, Eugene, USA
Selected Group Exhibitions
2005-6- Environmental Art exhibition for the HOPES Conference, a yearly sustainability conference at the University of Oregon, Eugene OR (curated)
Selected Workshops
2021- Home Slough, Introduction to Social Impact Evaluation
2020- Introduction to Theory of Change and social impact evaluation, Home Slough, London, UK
2020- Knowing Yourself and developing a business plan, King's College London's MA Entrepreneurship, London, UK
2019- Being Entrepreneurial in the Arts- The Rattle co-working space, London, UK
2019- Designing a Theory of Change workshop, Local Roots at Battersea Arts Centre, London, UK.
2019- Designing an evaluation plan, Local Roots, London, UK
2015-9- Social impact evaluation workshops for young people, The Agency, London and Manchester, UK
2016-9- Introduction to devised theatre, King’s College London, London, UK
2017- Devised theatre workshop, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
2016- Devised theatre workshop, University of Roehampton, London, UK
2015- Scratch for community development, The National Trust, Birmingham, UK
2014-2016- Co-facilitated Agents of Creative Change, Battersea Arts Centre, London, UK
2008-2014- Visual arts workshops, Indian Boundary Cultural Centre’s 6-week summer school, Chicago, USA
2011- Visual Arts workshops, Summer Art programme, Foligno, Italy
2010- ‘Art Heals’ five-week Art Therapy program, Perspectives Calumet Middle School, Chicago, USA
2008-9- “How to be an Egyptian Artist” 2-day Art Camp, Oriental Institute, Chicago, USA.
2007- Chinese New Year workshop, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA
2007- African mask-making workshop, ArtsFest at the University of Chicago’s LAB Schools, Chicago, USA
2007- Environmental Art workshop, Chicago Park District’s Northerly Island, Chicago, USA
2007-8- African art workshop, Annual African Festival, Chicago, USA
2021- Home Slough, Introduction to Social Impact Evaluation
2020- Introduction to Theory of Change and social impact evaluation, Home Slough, London, UK
2020- Knowing Yourself and developing a business plan, King's College London's MA Entrepreneurship, London, UK
2019- Being Entrepreneurial in the Arts- The Rattle co-working space, London, UK
2019- Designing a Theory of Change workshop, Local Roots at Battersea Arts Centre, London, UK.
2019- Designing an evaluation plan, Local Roots, London, UK
2015-9- Social impact evaluation workshops for young people, The Agency, London and Manchester, UK
2016-9- Introduction to devised theatre, King’s College London, London, UK
2017- Devised theatre workshop, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
2016- Devised theatre workshop, University of Roehampton, London, UK
2015- Scratch for community development, The National Trust, Birmingham, UK
2014-2016- Co-facilitated Agents of Creative Change, Battersea Arts Centre, London, UK
2008-2014- Visual arts workshops, Indian Boundary Cultural Centre’s 6-week summer school, Chicago, USA
2011- Visual Arts workshops, Summer Art programme, Foligno, Italy
2010- ‘Art Heals’ five-week Art Therapy program, Perspectives Calumet Middle School, Chicago, USA
2008-9- “How to be an Egyptian Artist” 2-day Art Camp, Oriental Institute, Chicago, USA.
2007- Chinese New Year workshop, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA
2007- African mask-making workshop, ArtsFest at the University of Chicago’s LAB Schools, Chicago, USA
2007- Environmental Art workshop, Chicago Park District’s Northerly Island, Chicago, USA
2007-8- African art workshop, Annual African Festival, Chicago, USA
Selected Lectures
2021- Trade and the Creative Industries, US Embassy London
2020- Guest lecturer, Home Slough- Engaging Communities and Social Impact Evaluation Basics, London, UK
2020- Guest lecturer, EY Foundation's Employability Training, London, UK
2020- Guest lecturer, King's College London's Experience module, London, UK
2020- Guest lecturer, University of Westminster, Design Thinking and Innovation
2020- Guest lecturer, University of Exeter's MA Creativity course- Disruptive Innovation, Exeter, UK
2019- Guest lecturer, National Trust Conference on Building Innovative Partnerships, Leicester, UK
2019- Panellist, UCL Careers Centre on Working in the Arts, London, UK
2018- Keynote Speaker- Relative Values Conference, Rio de Janiero, Brazil
2018- Keynote Speaker- Agencia Conference, Rio de Janiero, Brazil
2018- Panelist, Relative Values Conference, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
2018- Panelist, The Watershed, Bristol, UK
2018- Panelist, Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, UK
2017-18- Guest Lecturer, Entrepreneurship course, Creative & Cultural Industries MA programme, King’s College London, London, UK
2017, Keynote speaker, The National Trust’s Annual Conference, Bath, UK
2017- Devised theatre lecture, Royal Holloway University, London, UK
2017- Guest Lecturer, St Mary’s University, London, UK
2015- Guest speaker, Harris Museum, Preston, UK
2012- Keynote Speaker- Scotland’s Culture & Regeneration Network Annual Conference, Edinburgh, Scotland
2021- Trade and the Creative Industries, US Embassy London
2020- Guest lecturer, Home Slough- Engaging Communities and Social Impact Evaluation Basics, London, UK
2020- Guest lecturer, EY Foundation's Employability Training, London, UK
2020- Guest lecturer, King's College London's Experience module, London, UK
2020- Guest lecturer, University of Westminster, Design Thinking and Innovation
2020- Guest lecturer, University of Exeter's MA Creativity course- Disruptive Innovation, Exeter, UK
2019- Guest lecturer, National Trust Conference on Building Innovative Partnerships, Leicester, UK
2019- Panellist, UCL Careers Centre on Working in the Arts, London, UK
2018- Keynote Speaker- Relative Values Conference, Rio de Janiero, Brazil
2018- Keynote Speaker- Agencia Conference, Rio de Janiero, Brazil
2018- Panelist, Relative Values Conference, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
2018- Panelist, The Watershed, Bristol, UK
2018- Panelist, Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, UK
2017-18- Guest Lecturer, Entrepreneurship course, Creative & Cultural Industries MA programme, King’s College London, London, UK
2017, Keynote speaker, The National Trust’s Annual Conference, Bath, UK
2017- Devised theatre lecture, Royal Holloway University, London, UK
2017- Guest Lecturer, St Mary’s University, London, UK
2015- Guest speaker, Harris Museum, Preston, UK
2012- Keynote Speaker- Scotland’s Culture & Regeneration Network Annual Conference, Edinburgh, Scotland