On Thursday, May 28, the Hudson River Museum will host Galloping Forward: A Hudson River Museum Gala, a festive evening celebrating creativity, community, and galloping into our future together. This special event is our single most important fundraiser of the year, and we are excited to honor community champions Samantha Merton and Brett Humphreys, Laura Vookles, Chair of the HRM’s Curatorial Department, and featured artist Robert Peterson.

Robert Peterson (b. 1981) is a contemporary artist based in Oklahoma known for his figurative paintings that focus on the nuanced representation of African American life. His exquisite artworks will make their New York debut at the Hudson River Museum this summer in Robert Peterson: Journeys, featuring a selection of that artist’s portraits that celebrate beauty, dignity, familial love, and community. Through this lens, Peterson constructs images that are both intimate and expansive, contributing to a broader reimagining of contemporary figurative painting. The artist states, “I want to highlight as many different forms of life and love as possible.”

Peterson’s artistic journey began with painting images of celebrities; as he developed his practice, he evolved into painting individuals from his community and family. This shift allowed him to create more intimate and authentic works that reflect his personal experiences and those who surround him. His subjects often directly engage with the viewer, offering a moment of reflection and connection.

Peterson is recognized as the first African American ever to receive the title Artist of the Year in Southwest Oklahoma. In 2023, the United States Postal Service featured the artist’s portrait of author Ernest J. Gaines on the 46th Forever Stamp in their Black Heritage Series. His work was recently the subject of a solo exhibition at the Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK. Peterson’s work can be found in the collections of the Brooklyn Museum, New York, NY; Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK; Weisman Museum of Art, Minneapolis, MN; Wichita Art Museum, Wichita, KS; Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH; and the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, FL.