Peter Tovar is a seminal artist in the Chicano Art movement of Los Angeles. He was the founder of"Colores"an on-site gallery boutique at Self Help Graphics in East Los Angeles. He has also designed book covers for authors such as Gary Soto, Aurturo Hernandez and Daniel Sanchez.

Peter Tovar was born at Children's Hospital in San Francisco. Second oldest son of five children, Peter grew up in Campbell Calif., a small area outside San Jose. His summers would be spent with his grandmother and cousins in the orchards. When they would break for lunch, his grandmother spun stories about the rich history of Mexico and her eventual journey to California.. " We are the people of the earth, " she would tell them. For Peter the colors of the watermelon symbolize his childhood memories of those cherished summers.In 1964 his family moved to LA where he finished high school.
Peter began painting after serving in Vietnam. He continued to paint while working at SHG, and in February 1994, had his first exhibit at Self Help Graphics' Galeria Otra Vez. The exhibit consisted of a series of acrylic painting.
Currently Peter lives in the downtown area of Los Angeles.Peter has four grown children and five grandchildren.

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