Presented by the John F. Peto Studio Museum in partnership with the ÀNI Art Academies
A Diverse Global Exhibition Rooted in “Old Souvenirs”
The John F. Peto Studio Museum is proud to present Inspirations: A Global Cascade of Influence — From Old Souvenirs to New Voices, a landmark collaboration with the ÀNI Art Academies. This international exhibition unites works from ÀNI artists across five countries, each created as a personal reflection on what inspires them to create.
At its origin lies a single, deeply personal spark. ÀNI Co-Founder and Curriculum Designer Anthony J. Waichulis first encountered John F. Peto’s Old Souvenirs, a masterfully crafted and meditative still life housed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, in the late 1990s. The quiet poetry and demonstrable virtuosity he found with that painting profoundly influenced his own creative path and, in time, inspired his development of an educational framework that would empower a new generation of artists to pursue their own inspirations. This cascade of influence demonstrates how what moves one artist deeply can, in turn, set countless others in motion.
This exhibition traces that ripple effect from Peto’s studio in nineteenth-century New Jersey to new generations of painters and draftsmen working today in the United States, the Dominican Republic, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Anguilla.
A Dialogue Between Past and Present
Inspirations celebrates how influence travels: how the spark of one artist’s vision can cross time, place, and culture to ignite others. Each participating ÀNI artist presents a work that honors an individual, idea, or tradition that has shaped their creative voice. Collectively, these pieces form a portrait of inspiration itself, an ever-expanding network of creative inheritance and renewal.
Interactive QR code components will accompany selected works, inviting visitors to explore the sources, stories, and artistic lineages behind each piece. These digital connections turn viewing into conversation, linking the intimate gestures of the studio with the global circulation of ideas.