Utah Painting Restoration and Art Conservation

Dr. Maria Peterson

Dr. Maria Peterson was born in Montevideo, Uruguay. She immigrated to the United States at the age of 17. She has lived, studied, and worked as an educator in the United States, Germany, Spain and Canada. She has degrees in foreign languages and literature from the University of California, Berkeley, and New Mexico Highlands University. She also has education degrees from Westminster College and Brigham Young University.

She taught in the classroom 12 years, was an elementary school principal for another twelve and for the last 9 years she has been curriculum supervisor for the Salt Lake School District in the areas of Social Studies and Fine Arts.

Fine Arts have always been an important element in her life. Her mission at the SLCSD is to inspire students to a greater appreciation of the creative process and contribute to a learning environment that encourages respect and acceptance of beauty -- may that be in the visual arts, music, dance or theater.

She has worked closely with teachers, parents, administrators, local art organizations, and school board members to assess needs, research programs, educate the public, and propose improvements leading to hire more music specialists in the elementary schools, expand opportunities for schools to attend performances and exhibitions offered by the community’s professional art organizations while at the same time encouraging students to hold their own performances and exhibitions.

She has worked closely with teachers, parents, administrators, local art organizations, and school board members to assess needs, research programs, educate the public, and propose improvements leading to hire more music specialists in the elementary schools, expand opportunities for schools to attend performances and exhibitions offered by the community’s professional art organizations while at the same time encouraging students to hold their own performances and exhibitions.

One of Dr. Peterson’s accomplishments in the area of visual arts is the restoration of the Salt Lake City School District’s large collection of early Utah artists’ work. She worked closely with curators Dr. Vern Swanson, Sharon Gray, Art Restorer Elizabeth Provost, framers at the Alpine Art Gallery, and appraisers Clayton Williams and Allen Dodworth to assess, restore, and appraise one of the most representative and valuable collection of Utah’s artistic heritage.