with Pete Driessen by Kate Drakulic • Photos by Sarah White
Visual artist, curator, and cultural producer Pete Driessen discusses his small-town origins, his deep connection to the landscape and public art, and what he’s working on both in his studio at the Casket Arts Building and out in the open air. Kate Drakulic: To start, how did you come to be an artist? What’s your story? Pete Driessen: I grew up in Waseca, in southern Minnesota. It’s a little town — home of Birds Eye Cool Whip, Johnson CB Radios, Herter’s Rice Patty Pancakes, and the Moo-U. I learned a lot about the cultural, socio-economic, and geographical differences of the smaller, more rural sections of the state versus the cities. Those differences became quite apparent at an early age, and the connections to the land, 40 Fall 2018
landscape, and agricultural small-town life became visual references for me. While going to art school at MCAD in 1980, there was confusion surrounding the transfer from handson fine art and design to the computer era. This hands-on work ethic is still part of how I create — leaning away from technology still to this day. I quit art school, finished a BA at St. Thomas, and finally landed in the design and advertising community.