Peter Myer was born in Long Island, New York in 1934. Both a semi-abstractionist and realistic painter, pastellist, printmaker, and sculptor, he also designs kinetic light sculptures. He lives in Provo, Utah.

Myer earned his BFA in art from Brigham Young University and his MFA in painting from the University of Utah in 1959. He served as chair of the department of art at the University of Nevada Las Vegas for ten years (1962-72). After his time at UNLV, he joined the faculty of Brigham Young University where he taught figure drawing for 30 years.

A mirrored chamber installation, Worlds Without End, and an interactive work, Sing to the Spheres, are examples of kinetic work. Myer's interest in kinetic light led him to computer applications to art in the 1980s when he initiated some of the first classes in computer art at BYU.

Biography adapted from Artists of Utah and material supplied by the artist.

Peter Livingston Myer (1934-), of Provo, is an interesting semiabstractionist and realist, as painter, pastellist, printmaker, and sculptor (assemblage-installations); and, on occasion, this artist also experiments with kinetic lights and transparencies to create new optical patterns in some works. From Long Island, New York, Myer attended Brigham Young University (B.F.A.), and is also a University of Utah graduate (M.F.A.,1959). He has been the Chair of the Art department at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas (1962-1972), and he has been a member of the B.Y.U. art faculty since that time. He is also a former director of B.Y.U.'s art gallery in the Harris Fine Arts Center (previous to the building of the B.Y.U. Museum of Art). According to Ann Poore in her recent catalog entitled The Reality of Abstraction: Painting in Utah 1946-1996: "He [Myer] paints in a wide range of styles, ignoring the 'war' between abstract and representational art. An exhibition of kinetic (motion) art in Los Angeles during the mid-60's started him 'on the road that I have followed ever since.' Myer worked with a glass blower in the early 80's to produce a series of glass sculptures that combined with light."

One Man Shows

• 1961- Hanging Tree Gallery, Salt Lake City, Utah
• 1968- Esther Robes Gallery, Los Angeles, California
• 1969- The Gallery, Denver, Colorado.
• 1971- Salt Lake Art Barn, Salt Lake City, Utah.
• 1976- Cannon Beach Gallery, Canon Beach, Oregon.
• 1980- Salt Lake Art Barn, Salt Lake City, Utah.
• 1980- Springville Museum of Art, Springville, Utah.
• 1985- Kimball Art Center, Park City, Utah.
• 1986- Las Vegas Museum of Art, Las Vegas, Nevada.
• 1994- Gallery 303, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
• 2002- Bountiful-Davis Art Center, Bountiful, Utah.
• 2003- Woodbury Gallery, Orem, Utah.

Juried and Invitational Group Exhibitions

• 1956- Jazz and Art, Collectors Gallery, New York City, N.Y.
• 1959- New Jersey State Exhibition, Montclair Art Museum, Montclair New Jersey.
• 1963- National Exhibition of Religious Art, Dover, New Jersey.
• 1963-1967- National Art Roundup, Las Vegas, Nevada.
• 1967- Lights in Orbit, Howard Wise Gallery, New York, N.Y.
• 1967- Light/Motion/Space, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
• 1967- Light and Motion, Flint Institute of Art, Flint, Michigan.
• 1967- Light and Motion, Worcester Museum, Worcester, Massachusetts.
• 1968- Luminism, Esther Robles Gallery, Los Angeles, California.
• 1968-69- Some More Beginnings, Brooklyn Museum, New York City, N.Y.
• 1969- Art and Technology, High Museum of Art, Long Beach, California.
• 1970- Art in the 60s, Denver Museum of Art, Denver, Colorado.
• 1980s-90s- Annual National Salon, Springville Museum of Art, Utah.
• 2002-03- Grand National Exhibition, American Artists' Professional League, N.Y.

Awards

• 1959- First Prize in Creative Oil, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
• 1963- Honorable Mention, National Exhibition of Religious Art, Dover, N.J.
• 1963- First Prize (Purchase Award), National Art Roundup, Las Vegas, Nevada.
• 1965- Sweepstakes Award, Annual Spring Roundup, Las Vegas, Nevada.
• 1967-1970- First Place in Sculpture, National Spring Roundup, Las Vegas, Nevada.
• 1975- First Prize, Purchase Award, Utah Biennial, Salt Lake Art Center, Salt Lake City, Utah.
• 1985- First Prize, All Utah Annual, Eccles Community Art Center, Salt Lake City, Utah.
• 2000- Best of Show, Utah Pastel Society Exhibition, Salt Lake City, Utah.
• 2002- Best of Show, Spring Art Show, Utah County Historic Courthouse, Salt Lake City, Utah.
• 2002- Colonel George J. Morales Memorial Award-AAPL, New York City.
• 2003- The Newington Award, Best Painting Show-AAPL, New York City.
• 2003- Best of Show, Utah Pastel Society Exhibition.

Professional and Community Positions

• 1962-68- Chairman, Dept. of Art, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada.
• 1969-1972- Regional Director of E.A.T. (Experiments in Art and Technology).
• 1963-64- Chairman, Allied Arts Council, Las Vegas, Nevada.
• 1972-78- Gallery Director, B.Y.U. Dept. of Art & Design, Provo, Utah.
• 1978- Director, B.Y.U. Study Abroad, Paris, France.
• 1990- Associate Director, B.Y.U. Study Abroad, London, England.
• 1992-95- Studio Area Head, B.Y.U. Dept. of Visual Arts, Provo, Utah.
• 1997- Vice President, Utah County Art Board, Provo, Utah.

Collections

• Denver Museum of Art
• Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center
• Salt Lake Art Center
• Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art (Logan, Utah)
• Springville Museum of Art (Utah)
• Brigham Young University Museum of Art
• Las Vegas Museum of Art
• U.V.S.C. Woodbury Gallery

Biography courtesy of the artist and Artists of Utah

To contact this artist email: petermyer@aol.com

Newspaper Articles

"2 Retired Y. Professors Plan Exhibit at UVSC." The Deseret News, August 3, 2003.

"A Light Media for Artist." Festival, November 9, 1969.

"All Art Styles Will Be Welcome At Springville Show." The Deseret News, April 9, 1989.

"Art Canvass." The Deseret News, February 20, 2000.

"Artist Uses Lightbulbs, Motors." Daily Universe, January 31, 1980.

"Artists' impressions of World War II at BYU." The Salt Lake Tribune, October 31, 1976.

"BYU Show Spotlights Art Faculty Diversity." The Deseret News, January 29, 1989.

"Coming Up: Visual Art." The Salt Lake Tribune, April 28, 2002.

"Curtain Will Rise On Music, Laughter, Fantasy." The Deseret News, October 1, 1995.

"Exhibitiors show Work in Light, Plastic, Steel." The Salt Lake Tribune, January 10, 1971.

"Fantasy, Macabre Art On Exhibit In Utah In Utah County Galleries Have Treats For Halloween Visitors." The Deseret News, October 23, 1988.

"Galleries." The Deseret News, November 21, 1993.

"Lecture Releases Flood Of Memories, Teachings." The Deseret News, December 4, 1992.

"Light Brigade Charges up at the Wise." New York Times, February 4, 1967.

"Light, Motion, Space." Nevadan, March 17, 1968.

"Museum exhibit is all pastel." Nevadan, February 23, 1986.

"Myer Shows Glass, Light." Herald, February 21, 1980.

"New Galleries Are Facing A Landscape of Uncertainty." The Deseret News, July 25, 1993.

"Peter Myer Exhibits in Springville." Herald, Septermber 16, 1979.

"Small World, Big Canvas; Many Views Shaped Utah Art Some Reluctantly; Showcase Of Utah's Abstract Art." The Salt Lake Tribune, November 17, 1996.

"Springville Art shop to Host Meeting of the Artists Guild." The Deseret News, June 23, 1997.

"Utah in the Abstract Exhibit Chronicles 50-Year History of Movement in State Exhibit Chronicles Abstract Art." The Salt Lake Tribune, April 14, 1996.

"Utah Marquee: Visual Art." The Salt Lake Tribune, August 29, 2003.

"Utah Marquee: Visual Art." The Salt Lake Tribune, November 17, 1995.

"Utah Marquee: Visual Art." The Salt Lake Tribune, December 31, 1993.

Books

Myer, Peter Livingston. Kinetic Light Art. Provo, UT: Peter L. Myer, 1999.

Myer, Peter L. Art Do It! A Handbook for Artists. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing Co, 1996.

Olpin, Robert S., William C. Seifrit, and Vern G. Swanson. Artists of Utah. Salt Lake City, UT: Gibbs Smith Publisher, 1999.

Periodicals

Myer, Peter L., "New Directions in Mormon Art." Sunstone Magazine, Spring.

Time Magazine. "Luminal Music." Time Magazine, April 28, 1967.