Award Winning Artist Pete Sandker
A familiar face and celebrated talent, Pete Sandker was the 2026 Best of Show winner and perennial favorite among festival-goers. Pete’s work is taken from cross-disciplinary inspiration, featuring a striking visual language that blends the bold precision of Japanese block prints, the charm of classic book illustrations, and the sharp, graphic linework of tattoo art. His artistic philosophy is rooted in the idea of universal connection—the belief that everything is intricately linked. By exploring these complex relationships and patterns, Pete seeks to encourage a slower, more intentional way of seeing the world around us.We are thrilled to confirm he will be showcasing his captivating artistry with us once again through 2026.
What was your path to becoming an artist?
I have been drawing for as long as I can remember. I loved drawing animals, fish and sea creatures were my favorite. When I was 9 years old I bought a roll of receipt paper at a thrift store and set out to draw the longest picture in the world, all dinosaurs in various connected scenes. I think I got about 25 feet done before I moved on to other things. It's probably in a box somewhere at my parents house. In 8th grade I became very interested in comic books and became determined to become an artist and go work for Marvel. That's when I really started practicing on a daily basis, working on figure drawing, motion and movement, treating it almost like a job. My plan was to become a full time comic book artist after high school. Eventually, though, I became more interested in going back to drawing nature, wildlife, plants and animals that I saw around the woods where I grew up.
What do you like about the Wausau Festival of Arts?
I love how the whole town seems to come out and support the festival. So much related to the arts is going on that whole weekend, so everyone seems to be in a very arty mood, you can just feel it in the air. The very first time I ever participated in the Wausau Festival of Arts it was a very cold, rainy weekend. I thought it was going to be a wash, but I was shocked by how the attendance was still awesome and everyone was out and about buying art and having a great time.
Do you have a story that stands out from the festival?
The first year I was here, a little girl named Penelope came to my booth with her mom and brother and she loved my art so much that she came back the next day with a picture she had drawn for me. It was a colorful drawing of a pie on a plate. It had gotten damp from the rainy weather, and she handed it to me all disappointed, saying, "It's supposed to be a pie, but it just looks like a sad circle" . I cracked up pretty hard about that. She and her family come every year and sometimes she gives me a new drawing. It's such a cool thing to inspire a kid to make art, and it's awesome seeing her drawings improve and change.
We look forward to having Pete again with us and seeing all of you!
