About Pete Guither
Pete is the artistic director of The Living Canvas, telling compelling stories with performers' bodies clothed with the textures of projected images. He recently retired as assistant dean of the College of Fine Arts at Illinois State University, where he taught arts management, theatre photography, computer graphic design, and entrepreneurship. He has worked in business and in government, on Broadway, as a Fuller Brush salesman, a film festival judge, and as a traveling lounge musician. Pete is a photographer, a piano player, a drug policy expert, a foodie, a founding member of the Lord of the Rings Fan Club, and hosts New York theatre tours for students and retirees. He has a Master of Fine Arts in performing arts management from Brooklyn College and a degree in theatre from Cornell College.
Recent News
- July-September, 2023 - Seven-week solo road trip to Alaska and Canada, driving 9,260 miles (plus another roughly 1,600 miles on boats and trains). (photos)
- July, 2023 - Head Judge, Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival
- June, 2023 - Community theatre trip to New York. Saw Life of Pi, Kimberly Akimbo, Good Night Oscar, Grey House, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, New York, New York, and Leopoldstadt
- May, 2023 - Theatre alumni weekend at ISU with four-square, Mock Prom, and Theatre of Ted
- March, 2023 - Student theatre trip to New York
- December, 2022 - The City of New Orleans train trip to New Orleans
- September, 2022 - Great River Road Trip (photos)
- August, 2022 - Article about me in State (the magazine of Illinois State University): Where are they now? Pete Guither
- July, 2022 - Head Judge, Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival
- July, 2022 - Book published! Improbable Anecdotes
- June, 2022 - Train trip to New York City on The Cardinal and The Lake Shore Limited (Photos)
- April, 2022 - Guest on the podcast What're You Doing, You Beautiful Dummy?
- February, 2022 - Train trip to Los Angeles on the Southwest Chief (photos)
- November, 2021 - Projection designer for Holiday Windows, Town of Normal, Illinois
- November, 2021 - Train trip to New York City
- October, 2021 - Projection designer for Illinois State University Homecoming Windows, Town of Normal, Illinois
- October, 2021 - Music Director, Bulrusher in Westhoff Theatre (Illinois State University)
- July, 2021 - Head Judge, Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival (2020 and 2021 Festivals), Chicago, Illinois
- January, 2021 - drive/bike/camping trip to Louisiana
- November, 2020 - Projection designer for Holiday Windows, Town of Normal, Illinois
- March, 2020 - Student theatre trip to New York
- February, 2020 - Band manager for Bonnie's Misfits, the onstage band of Hit the Wall in Westhoff Theatre
- September, 2019 - Pianist for staged reading of Brooklyn's Bridgeby Ray Roderick at Illinois State University
- June, 2019 - Community theatre trip to New York
- May, 2019 - Morocco
- March, 2019 - Student theatre trip to New York
- January, 2019 - Jamaica
- August, 2018 - Judge for Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival.
- May 2, 2018 - Teaching a class for the Academy of Seniors: "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story. The Broadway 'Hamilton' phenomenon."
- March, 2018 - Advance musical director for "Floyd Collins" at Heartland Theatre.
- March, 2018 - Student theatre trip to New York
- March 3, 2018 - Spoke to the Libertarian Convention on the drug war.
- February, 2018 - Musical director for "Mr. Burns, a post-electric play" in Westhoff Theatre.
- January, 2018 - drive/bike/camping trip to Louisiana
- August/September, 2017 - 6,000+ mile train and bike trip to San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver. Photos.
- August, 2017 - Judge for the Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival.
- July, 2017 - Living Canvas consulting for the Mercury Theater production of "Hair." Review: "one of the most powerful moments...is largely due to the genius of The Living Canvas' [Pete Guither]'s projection design." - PerformInk
- June 5-12, 2017 - Community theatre trip to New York.
- March 27 - April 5, 2017 - Taught a class for the Academy of Seniors: "A journey through the senses with an avant-garde artist."
- March, 2017 - Student theatre trip to New York.
- February, 2017 - Biking and camping trip to the Natchez Trace and New Orleans.
- December, 2016 - Completed major Living Canvas collaboration called [Trans]formation. Called "one of the top five productions of 2016 in Chicago" by Theatre By Numbers.
- Summer, 2016 - 7,400 mile road trip to New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Ontario. Photos.
- July 24-30, 2016 - Judge for the Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival.
- June 6-13, 2016 - Community theatre trip to New York.
- April 29-May 27, 2016 - Cathedrals - a Living Canvas production in Chicago, IL.
- April 28-30, 2016 - Very Much Alive - a Living Canvas production in Normal, IL.
- December, 2015 - Retired from Illinois State University.
Upcoming activities:
- More trips, certainly.