In an interview on a local Berkshire station Peterson noted that the famed painter/illustrator was forbidden by his publishers to include people of color in his works. SEVEN Salon Spa is located directly across the street from a former Rockwell home in Stockbridge. Peterson said that proximity to where Rockwell drew inspiration for his works also inspired the works in “Reinventing Rockwell.” Peterson’s works have also been shown at the Spencertown Academy for the Arts.

 

Peterson served for seven years on the board of the Berkshire Art Center and sponsors the Pops Peterson Scholarship Fund. He currently serves on the advisory committee of the Berkshire International Film Festival, and is artist in residence of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. His column, “Pops’ Corner,” appears regularly in The B Magazine.

 

“I never set out to be a changemaker,” Peterson said. “As an artist, my intent was to share my thoughts and feelings and bring people joy. Yet I’ve seen firsthand the inspiration and change my pictures have made in so many hearts, minds and even their lives. I’ve lived a long life of staying true to my art, having faith it would lead me where I was needed. And there is nothing more gratifying than to see how decades of dedication and hard work have brought me to this moment. Thank you everyone who’s had a part in making this moment possible.”

 

He is a graduate of the High School of Music and Art and Columbia University.