Peter Adams

Contemporary American artist Peter Adams was born in Los Angeles on August 27, 1950. He received his training at Art Center College of Design, Otis Art Institute, and Instituto de Bellas Artes, San Miguel de Allende. However, it was at the Lukits Academy of Fine Arts in Los Angeles where he finally found the traditional artistic philosophies he so admired. At the Lukits Academy, Adams spent seven years in diligent formal training and as personal apprentice to the renowned mural, landscape, and portrait painter Theodore N. Lukits (1897–1992).

From his years with Lukits, Adams gained a heightened appreciation for Asian art and antiquities. At the Lukits Academy, it was typical for students to study still-life compositions consisting of original sculptures and porcelains from the various Chinese dynasties that were part of the Lukits personal collection. This interest later led to his traveling throughout Asia, and in 1980 Adams was the first American artist to travel and paint unescorted through the People's Republic of China.

His fascination with Asia gained him great acclaim when, in 1987, he became the only American artist to travel and paint with the Mujahideen rebels in Soviet-occupied Afghanistan. Today, Adams combines Eastern design concepts with the Western sense of depth through atmosphere.

Since 1993, Adams has served as president of the prestigious California Art Club, which was established in 1909 and is one of the largest and most active professional arts organizations in the country. Under his leadership, the Club's roster has grown from 80 members to nearly 3,000 at present. Today, the California Art Club is recognized as a leading proponent of the current national traditional-realist art movement.