Peter Hoffmeister considers institutionalized cultural ideologies that have shaped our history and continue to shape our present. Hoffmeister often employs historical events, places, and documents as a lens through which to understand the present and to discuss ideas and current issues within a deeper context. In his most recent project, Ground Revision, he created site-specific works installed in the period rooms of the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum located in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan. Not far from the house is the site of a former burial ground where enslaved peoples were laid to rest (some from the Dyckman estate). Destroyed in the early 20th century as the area was developed, the graves were dug up with little care or concern, and the remains were ultimately lost. It is still unmarked to this day; a public school and its parking lot now stand at the site. Hoffmeister was invited by the museum’s staff to join the ongoing conversation about this situation, and to address a deep history of white supremacy at the house through these works. The community is fighting to have the site remembered, and the artist hopes his works will amplify the conversation, while offering a contemplative moment for visitors to the historic house.

Hoffmeister was born and raised on Long Island, New York.  He received a BFA in studio art from the Fashion Institute of Technology, and an MFA in studio art from Hunter College. He currently teaches in the Art Department at Hunter College.