Art Chowder January | February 2017, Issue 7 | Page 16

FROM THE FARM TO FIFTY FACES:
Renowned international photographer and artist Marshall E. Peterson Jr. surely understands the definition
of diversification, and certainly knows how to capture
it! Marshall’s second fully illustrated book “Spokane
Fifty – Faces Shaping Our City’” was recently published, and we’re about to discover who those faces
belong to, how they got in his book, and learn more
about his “Marmot.”
But first, a little background on Marshall, a Spokane
native with an ambitious flair for global adventure and
culture. “I grew up in Spokane Valley on my family’s
small farm known as a ‘hobby farm,’ where I worked
alongside my parents tending the many animals we
were rearing—including chickens, pigs, and I even
recall we owned one horse. Alongside that I planted
many rows of carrots, and recall the miracle of digging
up potatoes. The days were long and the work was
hard, particularly having to wake up every morning at
5am and hauling slop for our pigs!”
But Marshall’s adventurous spirit and desire to spread
his creative wings eventually drew him from his rural
farmland environment to the highly contrasting vibrant surroundings of Guadalajara, Mexico some 14
years ago—after also visiting several countries including Europe along the way. “I wanted to experience
the lifestyle, language and culture, not as an Ameri16 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE

can ex-patriot or foreigner, but rather living alongside the residents as a local and active member of
the community. I’m fascinated and stimulated by
languages, and have studied to become fluent in
French and Spanish, so this would be very helpful
in easing me into this transition.”
As Marshall was embracing his new surroundings
and attending many cultural events he wanted to
catalog his experiences photographically, both to
share with his family back home and also to create
a journal of image memories capturing the various
stages of his journey. He bought a digital camera
and began building an impressive portfolio of photographs that eventually caught the attention of a
local magazine publisher who invited Marshall to
offer his skills and help illustrate and promote their
new magazine or ‘zine’ as Marshall described it.
It was at this point that Marshall transitioned from
an avid photographic enthusiast to a bona-fide
hired professional. He not only became the magazine’s official photographer but also its chief editor. Bands, artists and musicians were the primary
focus of the magazine, and Marshall readily identified with the mission since he had also previously learned to play drums and percussion. He found
himself shooting high resolution and often very