Today we’d like to introduce you to Peg Gerrity.
Peg, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was always sketching, painting, or sculpting as a kid. There’s honestly not a time in my life that I can remember NOT creating art. Heading off to college though, I mistakenly believed I could never make money as an artist, so I pursued my second passion, which was life-science/medicine. As a Biomedical Science Teaching Assistant, I often drew the life-cycles of various animal parasites in elaborate chalk board dioramas when my professor suggested I consider Medical Illustration. This was a career I’d never heard of, but once I began researching it, I was hooked! (Possibly add illustration 01 of Elephant or Gorilla? )
Medical Illustration is an extremely specialized niche of commercial art that focuses on communicating complex scientific information, so we’re a rare breed of artist and there is a definite need. In my early career, I attended surgeries with my sketchbook and camera in hand so as to create illustrations of new medical procedures that were used to teach doctors specific techniques. During the past 20 years, the majority of my work has been geared towards patient education, and specifically the creation of racially diverse fetal development illustrations for inclusive mobile apps that help new parents track their pregnancies. (Possibly add illustration 02 of Pregnancy?)
During the pandemic, I decided to learn watercolor so as to loosen up a bit. Medical illustration is quite technical, and I felt like I was an artist stuck in an illustrator’s body. I fell in love with the medium and began filling travel sketchbooks with watercolors while visiting Africa, Europe, SE Asia, and the Galapagos. However, I always keep coming back to Alaska in my travels. My fondest memories were of being an art student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and learning about the rich cultural history of Alaska’s Native Communities. While visiting again in 2022, I spent some time in Icy Strait Point near Hoonah, and posted my sketches of Tlingit Storytellers on Instagram. That’s when Huna Totem Corporation contacted me to ask about serving as an Artist in Residence for their 50th Anniversary Celebration, and the Elders Project was born. (add photo 03 of me with Tlingit Elder and Art)
As the Tlingit and other Indigenous communities struggle to pass on their culture and language to future generations, it’s important to have archival images of the Elder Native speakers wearing their ancestral Regalia. Many pieces are over 100 years old and include animal fur, hair, detailed embroidery, and jewels, so I had to be very careful when photographing those items. I was so grateful to them for sharing their stories and Regalia with me, and for trusting me with their likenesses. (possibly add illustration 04 Attentive Wisdom)
Working with the Alaskan Elders has been the greatest artistic experience of my life. While many Elders were excited to have their portraits painted, some seemed a bit unsure, as there is a degree of vulnerability when sitting for a portrait. The Artist must approach the Model with humility, and hold a curiosity of other people, their stories, and culture. This is especially important as I am an outsider to the Tlingit community, so mutual trust is crucial to building and nurturing the relationship between Artist and Model. Only then can a portrait that depicts the true grandeur of an individual be achieved. (possibly add illustration 05 Daniel Paul Brown or 06 George Dalton w granddaughter)
Since working with the Elders Project, I have served as an Artist In Residence creating watercolor illustrations for various travel outfits, including most recently for Churchill Wild Arctic Safaris where I was able to observe, sketch, and paint polar bears in the wild. (perhaps add image 07 or 08 of polar bear?)
I’m also doing some pro bono work to raise awareness to the housing crisis by painting free portraits of some of our homeless neighbors. This has been an incredibly humbling and joyful experience as I learn the stories of these marginalized folks. We never know the real story behind homelessness. (portrait 09 of Kurtyz?)
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We all have personal bias, and recognizing my own blind spots as a White woman and was crucial in order to gain trust and acceptance within the Tlingit community.
Another issue: Though I had agreed to photograph all the Elders at 2 photoshoots, my client only planned to choose 10 folks for whom I would create portraits. Unfortunately, they sent me a list of 10 people, 6 of whom were not at either photo event, and in fact 4 of those 6 had been deceased for years so I had no photo references. In cases of the posthumous portraits, all I was given were family polaroid-style shots from which it was difficult to determine the facial features.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a Certified Medical and Scientific Illustrator for over 35 years, I’ve had an amazing career in a very niche field of commercial illustration.
Transitioning to Artist In Residence Work has opened up a whole new world for me in terms of increased opportunities for travel and learning more about various peoples, cultures, and ecosystems. I bring fieldwork sketchbooks with me wherever I go!
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
AI has changed the face of much of commercial art, although medical illustration still requires a niche skillset and the ability to communicate complex medical and scientific concepts in visually effective and appealing ways. Still, the more AI-generated art I see, the more I hunger for something tactile and traditional. It’s the main reason I jumped into watercolor at such a late time in my life. Life is too short not to get your hands dirty with paints and a brush on a daily basis!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.peggerrity.com
- Instagram: @gerrity_pegasus
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peg-gerrity/
Image Credits
All images copyright Peg Gerrity
