The oldest of two blond boys, Drew is the progeny of a motivational speaker and a money squirreling CFO. At nine years old, showing incredible promise- Drew was offered a scholarship to study painting and drawing at a renowned Atelier Program in Excelsior, Minnesota. The years to follow were filled with travel to amazing destinations- Deep sea fishing in Alaska, splashing on the beach in Hawaii, surfing in Australia and safaris in South Africa.
Yearning for academia, Drew decided to study studio art at St. Olaf College. Taking advantage of the state-of-the-art space of the Dittmann Center and studying under the tutelage of Ron Gallas, Irve Dell, Wendell Arneson and John Saurer. During this time, Drew continued his travels and took advantage of the opportunity to study art in New York- interviewing 25 artists, and visiting over 100 galleries and museums during his time there. Drew also seized the opportunity to study art in Florence, Cortona, Siena, and Lucca, Italy as well as London, England.
After a brief retreat to the North woods, Drew began working independently on his art at his studio space in Edina, Minnesota and has continued to do so for the last six years. During that time he’s been published in every major Minneapolis publication and has also had exhibitions at several galleries including: The Minneapolis Institute of Art, Kirkland Gallery, Gallery 13, HangIt Gallery, and Gallery 122 among others.
In June of 2008, Drew spent 104 consecutive hours living and painting in a 9′ x 31′ glass room in the Minneapolis Skyway. He called it a “Live INstalation.” Entering at 9 AM on a Monday morning and emerging at 5 PM on Friday evening. The news called it “live art to the extreme” but Drew just considered it an exercise in focus. “With 30,000 people a day walking by you and your work, the feedback is instantaneous” says Beson.
This was not Drew’s first public art performance however- He has also performed live on stage with musicians like The Invincible Kids and Mix-Master-Mike from the Beastie Boys. This type of behavior was ridiculous enough for Drew to be recognized as “The Best Party Addition in Minneapolis” by Minnesota Monthly Magazine. In addition to his art, Drew has also been recognized for his philanthropic pursuits for his contributions to non-profits such as the Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery.
