Peter Peterson's Smileys under the eaves of Orange Bay Hotel.
ST. EUSTATIUS--Oscar Wilde once famously said, “All art is useless.” Statia artist Peter Peterson does not agree. Through his Smiley Artwork, mounted under the eaves of the recently opened Orange Bay Hotel, Peterson wants islanders and tourists alike to smile.
Peterson has lived on the Historical Gem for almost 35 years. “We do not smile enough,” he said. “St. Eustatius is a beautiful island with a remarkable heritage that deserves a thousand smiles a day.”
Claudia Wickert, co-owner of Orange Bay Hotel, is equally enthusiastic. “A hotel should not be just any building,” she explains. “It must have character, charisma and charm. Peterson's art forces every hotel visitor to reboot his or her mind towards the smiling side of the street.”
Wickert is not the only art lover to have admired Peterson's creative work. During her last visit, Queen Maxima was also taken by his colourful and playful artwork on sale at Mazinga Store on the bay. So much so that she purchased one of his brightly painted wooden fish that are quite typical of Peterson's sense of humour and of his art.
His studio is called Naked Pig – a name for which he offers not the slightest apology. “My three years of art school in New York City taught me many skills to add to my artistic talents. Art is not useless. It is a source of inspiration.
“It is about how we perceive this world and possibly how we feel about the next world,” he said.
Peter Peterson with a replica of the artwork purchased by Queen Maxima.
