Perception and Abstraction | The Terry & David Peak Collection

Perhaps the most important collectors of contemporary art in Logan, Utah, David and Terry Peak have been collecting since 1996. Part of the allure for them comes from the traveling they do so in pursuit of collecting art and from the artists they meet. One of their favored destinations is Santa Fe, New Mexico and they have collected more art there from galleries and artists than elsewhere. The Peak’s have come to know many of the artists they have collected and it is clear that they greatly enjoy these personal connections, which has given them more insight into the artists work, enabling them to identify and collect in more discerning ways.

David Peak is a Physics professor and Terry Peak is a professor of Social Work at Utah State University. They have a proclivity for figurative painting, geometric sculpture, and work incorporating mathematical and scientific systems. The strength of their collection is in its contemporary landscape painters of the Southwest like David Barbero, Javier Barbosa, Jason Berger, Sarah Bienvenu, Charlie Burk, Joel Greene, Elaine Holien, Randy Hasson, Dan Namingha, Woody Shepherd, and Julian Sibony and the work they collect by these artists is bold and full of life and color. Of additional note is their sculptural collection, characterized mainly by work that is organic and geometric and includes artists such as Mark Castator, Paula Castillo, Gretchen Ewert, Jun Kaneko, Bret Price, Frank Riggs, Kevin Robb, and Sheryl Zacharia.

Generous supporters of Utah State University, the Peak’s have named the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art as the beneficiary of a large portion of their art collection. The Peak’s collection adds an important component of work by contemporary artists from the Western United States, and in particular New Mexico, thereby greatly expanding the Museum’s reach in this region. In addition, the Peak’s donated funds in support of the Museum’s exhibition space. In recognition of this gift the Museum has named one of its galleries The David and Terry Peak Gallery.