"There’s a lot out there competing for your gaze. I don’t want to waste your time."
- GABE DRUEKE
BIOGRAPHY
Gabe Drueke is an artist of many disciplines working in Southwestern Illinois just outside of St. Louis, Missouri. A University of Illinois trained graphic designer, Gabe has proven to be so much more over his past 25 years as an artist. While colorful murals and hand-painted signs are mainstays from recent years, a paradigm shift has launched Gabe into an unexpected exploration of abstract acrylic canvases. Utilizing tools that are familiar to his hand – lettering and pin-striping brushes – Gabe’s subjective works reveal a unique visual flavor. Combined with a laser sharp focus on craft, which extends to his expertly handmade frames, it is no surprise the work is quickly garnering attention.
Adept at any artistic discipline he attempts, Gabe received regional notoriety in 2006 when he created 120(+) relief-carved, cast-stone plaques for the St. Louis Cardinals which are installed in the brickwork of Busch Stadium. From the entry ways, to the towers and even the field wall behind home plate, Gabe’s work is spread generously throughout the facility and is enjoyed by millions of baseball fans each year.
Gabe currently resides in Smithton, IL, with his wife, Artemis, a Graphic Designer, and their daughters, Pella and Tessa. Always driven by a desire for self-improvement and that next level of achievement, Gabe seized the opportunity to become an Industrial Arts teacher at nearby Freeburg Community High School in the fall of 2024. This role allows him to share his diverse expertise in trades and fine arts with the next generation, channeling his passion into inspiring young minds while still allowing him time to create.
Curriculum Vitae
JURIED EXHIBITIONS
2024
Abstract National Exhibition // Mark Arts // Wichita, KS
Broken Hearts // Soulard Art Gallery // St. Louis, MO
Shrode Fine Art & Craft Exhibit // Cedarhurst Center for the Arts // Mt. Vernon, IL
Liturgical and Sacred Art Exhibition // Springfield Art Association // Springfield, IL
Portals & Passages // MVA Gallery // Bethlehem, PA
Everyone Belongs Under The Sun // The Arts Council of Southeast Missouri // Cape Girardeau, MO
Statewide Illinois Artist Showcase // Springfield Art Association // Springfield, IL
Members Exhibition // St. Louis Artists’ Guild // St. Louis, MO
2023
Visions of Form & Space // St. Louis Artists’ Guild // St. Louis, MO
Beyond Belief // St. Louis Artists’ Guild // St. Louis, MO
SouthWorks // The Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation // Watkinsville, GA
Attractive Energy // Soulard Art Gallery // St. Louis, MO
Scapes // Stola Contemporary Art // Chicago, IL
Members Exhibition // St. Louis Artists’ Guild // St. Louis, MO
64ARTS // Buchanan Center for the Arts // Monmouth, IL
October National // Gallery 510 // Decatur, IL
Juried Regional Exhibition // The Arts Council of Southeast Missouri // Cape Girardeau, MO
Art Saint Louis XXXIX // Art Saint louis // St. Louis, MO
Momentum // Manifest Gallery // Cincinnati, OH
Ann Metzger National Biennial Exhibition // St. Louis Artists’ Guild // St. Louis, MO
LAMINATOR! Magazine // Artists on the Lam // Chicago, IL
Deck the Halls // Soulard Art Gallery // St. Louis, MO
AWARDS
2024
2nd Place // PHASE 5 // Everyone Belongs Under the Sun // The Arts Council of Southeastern Missouri // Cape Girardeau, MO
2023
2nd Place // IGNITE // Visions of Form & Space // St. Louis Artist’s Guild // St. Louis, MO
Curator’s Choice // IGNITE //Attractive Energy // Soulard Art Gallery // St. Louis, MO
Honorable Mention // MESSENGER // Regional Juried Exhibition // The Arts Council of Southeastern Missouri // Cape Girardeau, MO
People’s Choice // AMERICAN STANDARD // Regional Juried Exhibition // The Arts Council of Southeastern Missouri // Cape Girardeau, MO
Award of Merit // PURIFICATION #2 // Deck the Halls // Soulard Art Gallery // St. Louis, MO
2022
Public Mural Award // “WELCOME TO THE LOO!” // MEEP With Balloons // Waterloo, IL
2021
Public Mural Award // “ I LOVE WATERLOO!” // T-REX on Skateboard // Waterloo, IL
PERMANENT ART INSTALLATIONS
2020
Information Center Mural Panels (5 total) // Jerry F. Costello Lock & Dam // U.S. Army Corps of Engineers // Modoc, IL
2009
Roscoe Misselhorn Bronze Statuette // Misselhorn Art Gallery // Sparta, IL
2006
120(+) decorative, cast-stone architectural plaques // Busch Stadium // St. Louis, MO
I want my work to be the first thing you see when you walk in and the last thing you think about when you walk out. When I do it right is when you love it and you don’t even know why.