About

Peter Tunney (b.1961) is a legitimate force of nature with boundless creative energy, spreading his positive messages in unconventional ways and delivering works of art to a worldwide collector base. He creates in almost every medium: paint, collage, wood, photography, found objects, and discarded materials. His nontraditional life, cache of extraordinary experiences, and countless wild adventures serve as the foundations for his work.

Since declaring himself an artist in 1987, Tunney delivers his messages of Grattitude, Don’t Panic, The Time Is Always Now, Fear Less, Love More and Change the Way You See Everything to a vast and global audience. His dynamic textual images blanket New York City, which he affectionately calls “The City of Dreams”, as giant billboards. Like magic these billboards spontaneously appear and disappear, an intentional phenomenon as Tunney himself is a trained magician. Tunney has owned and operated ground floor studios and galleries in lower Manhattan for the last 30 years. Open daily and free to the public, they embody his deep connection to and understanding of the city. In addition to his current Tribeca space on Leonard Street, for the last eight years Tunney has also maintained a gallery in the heart of Miami’s famed Wynwood Walls. As Wynwood’s first tenant, The Peter Tunney Experience has been a fixture in of the thriving Wynwood neighborhood. Throughout his 30-year artistic career, Tunney’s entrepreneurial spirit has remained strong.

In 2015, he partnered with friend and developer Jessica Goldman Srebnick to form Goldman Global Arts. GGA curates and executes transformative art projects for causes, cities and corporations around the world. The GGA Gallery inside the Wynwood Walls, an offshoot of the curative branch, currently exhibits the work of and represents over 31 street artists from 16 countries who have painted murals in and around the Wynwood Walls.

Yet, at his core, Tunney is much more than a visual artist and businessman. He believes in humankind and the good that results from performing countless small acts of kindness. Over the years Tunney has spent tireless human energy and donated countless works of art to deserving organizations. Most recently, his main philanthropic efforts are devoted to criminal justice reform, supporting wrongfully convicted individuals, and ending the stigma of mental illness. Tunney happily lives and works between New York and Miami with his wife Amy, their 9-year-old son Arthur - affectionately known as “Art” - and their 6-year-old daughter named "Sonnet".

Vintage photo of a young child holding a baseball bat and glove in a backyard.
Black and white photo of a smiling child wearing a sweater with animal motifs

PT, 1962

Black and white vintage photo of three young children, two boys and one girl, smiling and looking forward.

Early signs of trouble

A vintage newspaper front page titled "The Three Village Herald" dated June 4, 1975. The headline reads "Teenage Cyclist Hit At Dangerous Intersection." The layout features a black and white photograph showing a car and two cyclists on a street, and an inset image of a young person, the cyclist. The newspaper discusses a traffic accident involving a teenager named Peter Tunney.
A group of people gathered around a child in a hospital bed, holding a large yellow 'Get Well Soon' card. The child is smiling, and the group includes adults and children, some wearing party hats and holding balloons. A "Happy Birthday" banner is visible in the background.
A group of boys gathered around a boy on a hospital bed.

PT birthday a couple months after the car accident

First few days free from a full-body cast. During that time, PT learned slight of hand magic

Two young people performing a magic act, one holding a cup and wand, the other on crutches with a 'BANG' sign and wearing a top hat, standing near a table with a 'MAGICIANS PETE' sign.

Now a professional Magician about a year after the accident

Two men sitting on a cart pulled by a donkey, with firewood and jerry cans, surrounded by a natural, dry landscape with trees.
Two people shaking hands, one in a light-colored shirt and the other in traditional attire with face paint, earrings, and a blanket.

Kalahari, Namibia 1998

Valley of the Loibons, Loita Hills, Kenya 1996

Person holding a large animal skull with sunglasses and a cigar attached to it, background blurred.
People riding an elephant in a forested area, one person holding a camera, surrounded by trees and bushes. A guide walking beside the elephant.

“Self Portrait” Tanzania

Elephant Back Safari, Botswana, 2002

Exterior view of a storefront in a dark-colored building, featuring the address number 476. The open entrance has a door with a sign that reads "OPEN," and there is a large banner above the door that says "THE TIME IS ALWAYS NOW." A person is walking on the sidewalk past the building.

“The Time is Always Now Gallery” Broome St, NYC circa 1993

Art installation with industrial theme featuring pipes, abstract paintings, and metallic surfaces. A person in a white suit is visible. The floor is orange, with geometric patterns. Text at the bottom reads 'Twisting Through the Fifth World.'"
Room with individuals in hazmat suits viewing and handling various artworks on a gallery-like wall, with industrial pipes and equipment visible.

The lower level of the gallery aka “The Fifth World”. Only accessible by slide. circa 2000

Stack of disorganized papers and documents, with a visible book titled 'Walden.'

PT diaries

Room with newspaper-covered walls, red and black art, chairs, and a sign saying 'DON'T READ THIS!'
Group of people at a lively gathering; one person wearing a large, humorous mushroom hat holds a sign that says "I am NOT a mushroom," others react with amusement.

My room at the Crobar, where I lived for 321 days

Grace Jones visits the Crobar

Eclectic room with posters, vinyl records, and art on red walls, various decorative items, and an exit sign.
Room with wall covered in newspaper clippings, bunk bed, small TV, neon sign, and various posters.

Crobar Installation circa 2003-2004

Eclectic room with vintage decor, including a colorful jukebox, globe, and wall decorations. A wooden table holds flowers and a drink. A striped sofa and various posters are visible.
Cozy room with improvised loft bed, striped bedding, and cluttered decor. "Caution: Bumps Ahead" sign on back wall. Foldable table with books and items, exit sign over door, and various posters and pictures on walls.
Two men holding a sign that reads "Slow Down - Time Passing" in front of a window and shutters.
Man in suit levitating another person against a white wall with a plaque

Levitated by David Copperfield

Early PT artwork

Newspaper clipping from the New York Post's 'Page Six' dated September 8, 2006, featuring a headline 'Fiance flees' about Peter Tunney seeking reconciliation with his fiancee Amy Magee.
Polaroid photo of a smiling person with curly blonde hair, handwritten text below reads 'meeting Amy Mcgel, 2006.'

First photo of Amy

Vintage-style black and white photo of a couple sitting on a bench. The woman is in a large, feathered gown with a veil, and the man is wearing a suit. They appear relaxed and pensive.

Wedding Day
Friday April 13th, 2007 Capitale in NYC