Each season at the Mount has its unique colors and moods. Learn new skills and techniques while capturing natural beauty on canvas or paper. There is no shortage of beautiful scenes to paint on the 400 acres Mount Saint Francis Sanctuary. Classes are open to beginning, intermediate, and advanced artists. Different forms of media are welcome. Chairs, easels, and tables are provided.
Meet Our Instructor
Fr. Vince Petersen, OFM Conv.
Friar Vince Petersen
Friar Vincent Petersen is an environmental artist who works mostly in the acrylic medium. Since childhood, the beauty of the Earth held him captive. Growing up in rural Minnesota, he credits the shapes, seasons, dimensions, and moods of creation for coloring his understanding of God and spirituality.
Friar Vincent’s work has been greatly influenced by the landscapes of the Southwest where he was involved in ministry from 1997 to 2015. During a 2006 exhibition benefiting a local effort to preserve open spaces and vulnerable habitat in the area, his artistry was first noticed.
Friar Vincent holds a Bachelor’s degree in Studio Arts from St. Louis University and a Master of Divinity from the Washington Theological Union. His activism has been extensive, including opposition to war and militarism, Christian Peacemaker Teams, Pax Christi, racial justice and protection of the environment.