Did you know that each day of the year is associated with some type of celebration or recognition? We all know that Halloween is on October 31st but did you know that October 10th is National Angel Food Cake Day or that October 17th was declared Where Something Gaudy Day? Mark your calendars because you wouldn’t want to miss October 24th which is National Bologna Day!
On October 25, 2004 Canadian artist Chris Mac Clure created International Artist Day to honor artists from all disciplines (painters, sculptors, writers, dancers etc.) and acknowledge their impact on culture and to celebrate their unique views of life through their art. People are encouraged to spend the day visiting museums, art galleries and to create their own community sponsored art events. October 25th is also the birthday of artist Pablo Picasso who was born in Malaga, Spain in 1881. The town celebrates his birthday every year with a fine arts festival and events. An exhibition titled Picasso Memory and Design is on display till November 4, 2026 at the Museo (museum) Picasso Malaga.
Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once you grow up.” Peter won his first art award in 1946 when he was 6 years old. His paintings Circus and Horse Head won him 1st and 3rd prize in his school's art contest. Picasso is quoted as saying, “If I paint a wild horse, you might not see the horse… but surely you will see the wild.” This is evident in Peter’s paintings.
Peter’s childhood artistic talent was on full display when he was asked to illustrate his grade school's annual newsletter, The News and Views. See attached Thanksgiving illustration from 1953. In high school, he was a member of Deerfield Academy's Art Club. At Dartmouth College (1958-61) he chose art as his major and his cartoons and illustrations were frequently published in the schools two news and art magazines, The Jack- O- Lantern and Greensleeves. In 1960, Peter had his first one-man show at Dartmouth’s Carpenter Gallery titled “Think Paint.” See attached show review. In an interview with American Artist Magazine in 2007, Peter is quoted as saying, “It was a great surprise at the age of 20, to see my first gallery show sell out. It planted the idea that I could do this for a living.”
I will leave you with another quote from Pablo Picasso: “Any form of art is a form of power; it has impact, it can affect change-it can not only move us, it makes us move.”