My name is Joseph Peterson, aka Zion Blu, a non-binary individual from the small town of Galesburg in central Illinois who now resides in the Chicagoland area. Growing up I was always doodling and drawing in the margins of my notebooks. Art classes were always my favorite as they gave me an outlet for my hyper-focus tendencies. I graduated Knox College in 2019 with a degree in Anthropology and Sociology with a minor in Studio Art. Although I never saw myself pursuing a career in the arts, my work has always been important to me. As of April of 2022, I currently am an AmeriCorps member working directly with the homeless population of Cook County with plans on continuing my career in the nonprofit sector. How my art will interact and intersect my career aspirations remains to be seen but I will always nurture my craft and see where it takes me.
I founded The Surface, a DIY arts and entertainment organization, out of my apartment in the Spring of 2021 to help give emerging artists a platform in which to share their work after recognizing how much of an impact such orgs can have. Such orgs are responsible for the creation of this website and growing my spark of creativity into a full fledged pursuit of passion. For now you can find this project on Instagram.
