about the artist

artist statement

rosy petri is a self-taught mixed media artist fusing textiles, printmaking, and story collection as witness. Works are created through labor-intensive processes as reverential response to spirit of place or record keeping mechanisms that allow for emphasis of relationality and context through shared resonance. Archives and cartographies are juxtaposed with concepts of sovereignty to invoke intimacy and dignity. Prizing luminosity and rhythm to create richly textured vignettes that draw heavily on cultural memory as mythology, map and dreamscape, petri explores lamentation and creation as necessary components of catharsis.

biography

rosy petri is a self-taught mixed media artist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Petri was honored as part of the 2025 Black Excellence cohort, and a Digital Humanities Fellow at the Wisconsin Museum of Quits and Fiber Arts. She served as the inaugural Artist in Residence at the bell hooks center at Berea College (2021), a Mary L Nohl Emerging Artist Fellow and a Mildred L. Harpole Artist of the Year (2020), the 11th Pfister Artist in Residence (2019), and a Milwaukee Artist Resource Network mentee under artist Della Wells (2018). Petri’s work can be viewed in collections including the Brewers Community Foundation, Planned Parenthood of WI, Medical College of WIsconsin, Baird Center, James Museum, bell hooks Center at Berea College, Pfister Hotel, Hunger Task Force, Northwestern Mutual, African American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin and the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

media + disciplines

fiber arts and quilting. photography. printmaking. comics. digital illustration. mixed media. audio.

shows + talks

*indicates solo show

10/25-1/26 Guiding Ethos, Guest Curator Jenie Gao, Trout Museum of Art, Appleton, WI.

10/17/25 Queens Don’t Have to Smile: Fall MKE Gallery Night, Women’s Club of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI.

9/18-21/25 Visiting Artist Series Talk and Workshop, Denver Art Students League, Denver, CO.

9/25-10/25 Women of Wisconsin Director’s Invitational, Alverno College, Milwaukee, WI.

2/25-4/25 Stitching Our Stories: Quilting in Contemporary Art, Gallery 507 at Bronzeville Center for the Arts, Milwaukee, WI.

2/25-3/25 Why Flowers Bloom, Calabar Gallery at City Lore, New York, NY.

*9/24-12/24 Here to Hear, Museum of Wisconsin Art on the Lake, Milwaukee, WI.

9/24-11/24 SEAMS II: Criss Cross, Portrait Society Gallery, Milwaukee, WI.

9/24 Fiber Connections: From the Global to the Local, Crossman Gallery, University of Whitewater, Whitewater, WI.

8/29/24 Butter Fine Art Fair, Mahogany Gallery, Indianapolis, IN.

6/14-16/24 Lakefront Festival of Art, poster artist, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI.

8/4/24 Starving Artist Fair, Spectrum Gallery, Racine, WI.

6/24 bell hooks Symposium workshop, Berea College, Berea, KY.

6/1/24 Invitation to Vocation, talk and workshop, The Table, Milwaukee, WI.

5/24-6/24 Black and White Invitational, Spectrum Gallery, Racine, WI.

4/24-6/24 Soft Structures, Tooth + Nail Gallery, Milwaukee, WI.

3/2-8/24 Black Pioneers: Legacy in the American West, Stark Museum of Art, Orange, TX.

1/24-3/25 CODE: Black, Calabar Gallery, NYC.

1/24-/2/24 Growing Resistance: Untold Stories of Milwaukee’s Community Gardens, Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design.

1/24-5/24 Contemporary African Spirituality in Art, Walsh Gallery at Seton University, NJ.

12/14/23 Stories of Joy and Hope in 2023, television feature on Black Nouveau, Milwaukee PBS.

10/23 Miami Art Week, Calabar Gallery, Miami, FL.

*10/23 Solo show, Wadsworth Family Gallery at Lewis University, Romeoville, IL.

9/23-10/23 Art in the Age of Blackness, Calabar Gallery, NYC.

9/23-12/31 Women Pulling at the Threads of Social Discourse, Jewish Museum Milwaukee.

9/23-10/23 WOW! Women of Wisconsin Director’s Invitational, Alverno College.

9/22-10/23 WI Craft Annual MKE Studio tour stop.

9/31-10/1 Culture Black Fine Art Expo w Mahogany Gallery, Columbus OH.

8/23 Afropunk Brooklyn with Calabar Gallery.

*7/23-9/23 American Altars, solo show, Art + Literature Laboratory.

7/23-8/23 Foundations, group show, Calabar Gallery + Artsy

7/23 Hamptons Fine Art Fair, Calabar Gallery

6/23-10/23 Black Pioneers: Legacy in the American West, California Museum.

6/23 Lakefront Festival of Arts, Milwaukee Art Museum.

6/23 3rd Annual Atlantic World Art Fair, Calabar Gallery + Artsy.

*4/23-5/23 Wealth of Our Nations, solo show, Calabar Gallery + Artsy.

*3/23-4/23 Quilted Musical Pieces, solo show, Calabar Gallery + Artsy

3/23 It’s a Good Day to Change the World illustration book tour in CA, NY, and WI.

2/23-3/23 Wisconsin Black Art & Culture Expo, Mahogany Gallery.

11/22-1/23 Hide and Seek: WMQFA’s 5th Fiber Arts Biennial, Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts

9/22-1/23 Black Pioneers: Legacy in the American West, James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art.

7/22 Adams Park Artist in Residence, residency, Artists Working in Education.

7/15/22 Protest: Art, Sport, and Education, panel discussion, Athletes and Social Change Forum, Muhammad Ali Center.

*6/22-8/22 Art Narratives and Quilt Stories by Rosy Petri, Calabar Gallery + Artsy.

6/22-7/22 Greater Milwaukee Foundation Mary L. Nohl Fund Fellowships for Individual Artists 2019 and 2020, group show, Haggerty Museum.

5/22-8/14 TMA Contemporary, juried group show, Trout Museum of Art.

4/22-10/22 Ain’t I A Woman: The Wisconsin Triennial, group show, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art.

*3/22-5/22 Witness: Myths of Creation, solo show. ArtStart.

2/22-3/22 Legacies & Resilience: Wisconsin Black Art and Culture Expo, Mahogany Gallery.

1/22-3/22 Catch the 22: Annual Members Exhibit, Milwaukee Artist Resource Network.

10/21-11/21 Seams: Contemporary Textile Artists, group show, Portrait Society Gallery.

9/21-10/21 Women Of Wisconsin: Director’s Invitational, group show, Alverno College.

8/21-9/21 Mary L. Nohl Suitcase Exhibition, group show, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design.

8/21-11/21 Black Humanity Now: A Nation Speaks, group show, Mahogany Gallery.

7/21-8/21 Mirror in the Dark, virtual group show, Visionary Art Collective.

7/14/21 bell hooks center Artist In Residence Artist Talk, virtual talk, Berea College.

6/21-8/21 Metcalfe Park Artist in Residence, community banner project, Artists Working In Education.

6/21-5/22 The Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Mary L. Nohl Fund Fellowships for Individual Artists, virtual exhibit, Haggerty Museum + Google Arts and Culture.

5/21-8/21 46 Artists for America’s First Ladies, group show, Arts + Literature Laboratory.

4/21-now Lifeline: The Ultimate Bond, traveling exhibition with Versiti, America’s Black Holocaust Museum.

4/21-5/21 More Than Pasted Papers: Conversations Through Contemporary Collage, group show, 5 Points Gallery and Studios.

2/21-5/21 In Stitches: Contemporary Approaches to Needlework, group show, Racine Art Museum.

1/21-2/21 Migrating Gestures, group show, UWM Union Art Gallery.

1/21-5/21 Faces of Wisconsin, invitational group show, Cedarburg Art Museum.

12/20-2/21 Nguzo Saba: Reaffirmations, group exhibition, Mahogany Gallery.

10/23/20 Art as a Driver of Racial Justice, Imagine MKE Road of Democracy panelist.

10/13/20 Healing Justice: Using the Arts as a Way Forward, Greater Milwaukee Foundation ‘On the Table’ panelist.

*9/20-10/20 Supreme Tones: Scenes from the People’s Church, solo fiber show, Mahogany Gallery.

*8/20-10/20 Witness: Myths of Creation, solo multimedia show, Concordia University.

9/20-10/20 Real People, juried group show, Old Courthouse Arts Center.

9/20-11/20 Made to Order, invitation exhibition, Trout Museum of Art.

7/20-10/20 From the Heart, virtual community art show, Racine Art Museum.

6/20-7/20 I Listen to Color II, virtual exhibition, Frank Juarez Gallery.

4/20-6/20 30x30x30, group juried exhibition, Var Gallery.

3/20-4/20 The Contemporary Art of Quilting, group exhibition, Ann Street Gallery.

2/20-4/20 40th Annual SECURA Fine Arts Exhibition, Trout Museum of Art.

2/20 Milwaukente: Community Block Printing Workshop Milwaukee Public Library.

1/28/20 Mentorship Morning with Pfister AIR Rosy Petri, professional development bootcamp, FUEL Milwaukee.

1/20-2/20 Threads of Truth: Social Impact and Fiber Arts, group juried exhibition, Zhou B Gallery.

1/20-3/20 Mixed Media Show, group juried exhibition, Nazareth College Arts Center Gallery.

1/20-2/20 #MKEmovementART: Exploring Political Activism and Social Justice Causes, group exhibition, Walker’s Point Center for the Arts + LIT Milwaukee + Public Allies Milwaukee.

2020 Signaling History, public art project, Shorewood Public Art Committee.

11/19-2/20 On Wisconsin Fiber Arts Biennial, group juried exhibition, Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts.

11/19-12/19 Imagine This Show, juried group exhibition, No Studios.

*11/19-now Northwestern Mutual Giving Gallery, 2019 featured artist, Northwestern Mutual.

9/19 WOW! Women of Wisconsin Exhibit, group exhibition, Alverno College.

8/19 Bronzeville Art Walk participant. Second Place cash prize recipient.

7/19-8/19 National African American Quilting Convention, group exhibition, Black Archives of Mid America.

5/19-6/19 39 Annual SECURA Fine Arts Exhibition juried exhibition, Trout Museum of Art.

4/19 Supreme Tones solo show, After Gallery.

3/19-6/19 Water: Reflection, Ritual & Resource group exhibition for SWAN Day MKE.

*3/19 Supper Club, featured artist, After Gallery Social Dinner.

2/19-3/19 MARN Mentor/Mentee Exhibition, MARN group exhibition.

1/19 Pfister Artist in Residence Finalist Show Exhibition, Pfister Hotel.

11/18-1/19 Revive group exhibition, 5 Points Gallery, opening.

10/18-1/19 Gallery SW1 Inauguration group show, David Barnett Gallery.

8/18 Bronzeville Art Walk participant, August 2018. Cash Prize Recipient.

3/18-5/18 Nourishing Our Roots: SWAN Day MKE group exhibition.

8/16-10/16 New Threads Fiber Arts Show, Fiber arts group show at Concordia University.

1/13/16 Art and Spirituality Artist Talk at Walker’s Point Center for the Arts, 1/13/16.

program participation + memberships

Black Excellence Award, class of 2025 honoree.

Artist Cultural Exchange, Havana, Cuba, 8/28/24-9/2/2024.

Digital Humanities Fellow, WIsconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Art, 24-25.

It’s a Good Day to Change the World, book illustrator, 2023.

Fine Artist School Tour Stage Designer, 2023 season set design, Florentine Opera Company.

Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts, board member, 2022.

bell hooks Center at Berea College, inaugural artist in residence, July 2021.

IFundWomen “Dreams to Reality” Fund, crowdfunding fellowship, 2021.

Mildred L Harpole Milwaukee Artist of the Year, Milwaukee Arts Board, 2020.

Kujichagulia Producer’s Cooperative, member, 2020-present.

MARN: Milwaukee Artist Resource Network Mentee and member, 2018 to present.

Imagine MKE Public Policy Working Group, co-chair, 2020-2022.

Wisconsin Fiber Arts Trail, member since 2019.

Wisconsin Craft member, 2019-2020.

Mary L. Nohl Fellow, Emerging Artist category, 2020.

National Scholastic Art Awards, juror, Milwaukee Art Museum, 2020 and 2021.

Nohl Suitcase Travel Grant, 2019 for sending works to the African American Quilting Convention in Kansas City, MO.

Pfister Artist in Residence: 2019 Recipient of prestigious artist residency in Milwaukee, WI.

RISE Entrepreneurship Training, 1st Cohort, 2018: 14 week entrepreneurship training program in partnership with the African American Chamber of Commerce, LISC Milwaukee, and MORTAR.

PopUP MKE, 1st Cohort, 2018: grant recipient and month-long pop-up brick and mortar shop.

Public Allies Milwaukee, 2 year Americorps Fellowship Alum.

New Work Field Street Artist Residency, February 2014. Month-long quilting and leatherworking residency in Detroit, MI as part of the New Work Economy Experiment.

public collections

Brewers Community Foundation, Northwestern Mutual, Milwaukee County Courthouse, African American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin, bell hooks Center, Pfister Hotel, The George, Hunger Task Force, Versiti, Florentine Opera Company, The Commodore, James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art, Thrive On Collaborative, Planned Parenthood of WI, Baird Center, Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee Artist Resource Network, University of Indiana, Crossman Gallery at UW Whitewater