Keith Rex Peterson

On December 7, 2007, Keith lost his brave battle against the ugly “C.” He has always been extraordinary, and for the last 3 years of his life, he was his most extraordinary. Never once did he complain about this new path life lead him on. It was an honor to be on this journey with him. Words that describe Keith: Brilliant, Fun, Master Artist, Prolific, Eccentric, Creative, Kind, Concentrated, Genius, Encyclopedia, Centered, Intense, Unique, Gifted, Friend, Son, Husband, Father, Spirit. Keith was born in Chicago and lived in Chicago’s NW suburbs. He got his BFA in printmaking at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and studied etching under Vera Berdich, often considered a mid-century master of the etching medium. He also took painting classes from Ed Paschke at SAIC. After graduating from SAIC, Keith left the USA to study printmaking at Englishman Stanley Wm. Hayter’s Atelier 17, Paris, France. Hayter was a printmaking innovator. Keith returned home on the day Chicago’s Mayor Richard J. Daley died. He remembered the news being all over the media at the time. Keith had been in Paris 3-4 months by that time. He came back home to begin a teaching career at Elk Grove High School, Elk Grove Village, IL, a nearby suburb. After spending 2 years at EGHS, he taught art for 1 year at a middle school in Buffalo Grove, IL. He resigned from this position to go to De Kalb, Illinois' Northern Illinois University to take etching from David Driesbach. Following that, he became an adjunct professor at Harper College, Palatine, IL, where he had gotten his AA years before. The K Rex posters are a collaborative effort between Keith and Hatch Show Print, Nashville, TN. They've been around forever. K-Rex loved, respected, and admired them. Hatch rules!! They're awesome! They have served recording artists as varied as Elvis Presley, Emmylou Harris, and K-Rex and Cowboyosaurus.