Behind the register at the Peanut Butter Gallery in Chestnut Hill, which opened in November 2024, hangs a vibrant blue-accented quilt. It’s a mixture of handwoven fabrics and threads, all separate pieces of a puzzle that, stitched together, form a creative whole.
The quilt is the work of Robert Woodward, who describes the piece as a testament to the “beauty in chance and randomness.” Woodward has painted, sketched, sculpted and even reinvented himself as a clown during a pivotal point in his career, all leading him to his shop on Germantown Avenue.
“I just finished two commissions and … I’ve got three or four in the back,” said Woodward, 76, of East Mt. Airy. “I’m just [going to] continue to make, continue to play, putter, make stuff, keep the gallery open [and] play sports until I can’t walk.”
From art to artifact
Woodward’s gallery open house on July 12 at 8042 Germantown Ave. will showcase his creations and the work of other local artists and artisans, including Rob Kirsch, Karen Misher, Nadya Shmavonian, and Marsha Moss. Filled with handcrafted bowls, jewelry, hats, home accents, sculpture, and more, the stories behind each piece transform them from art to artifact.
Like the quilt he so proudly displays, Woodward’s career is an assemblage of experiences that began during his boyhood at the Jersey Shore. On the days when he wasn’t occupied by the demands of the basketball team, student council, or yearbook, he was in his basement either tinkering with his father’s medical instruments or fixing his father’s boat — handicrafts at heart.
He enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a degree in microbiology, but when he wasn’t accepted into medical school, he decided to take a gap year. With enough money saved after a summer of working, Woodward traveled to France, staying in Paris and Grenoble, all the while rekindling his love of the handicrafts he once discovered in his family’s basement. Instead of tools and medical instruments, he picked up paints and brushes, painting and detailing homes wherever his work and artistic eye was needed.
“It’s over there that I learned to love being myself and having free time and doing whatever I wanted all the time,” Woodward said, recalling his years in Europe. But when he returned to the U.S., he was uncertain about his career direction. “I came back and didn’t know what I was.” Unable to see eye to eye with his family, who wanted him to become a doctor, he hitchhiked to New Orleans and turned to art and entertainment.
In the birthplace of jazz and soul, Woodward drew portraits and painted at Jackson Square while working as a waiter to survive. He eventually made his way back home to the Jersey shore and rekindled a love for rugby, but a leg injury left him in a cast for nine months.
The birth of Mr. Butter
“That’s when I started doing sculpture,” he said. At the same time, he was living in a garage in exchange for yardwork and working as a clown named Peanut Butter.
“I’m not like a public speaker, [but] … by clowning, I was able to get to say things to people that [I] never would say,” Woodward said. “I took the name Peanut Butter because I’m tall and thin, and I talked in a squeaky voice [and] when kids [would] ask me my name, I’d say, ‘My name’s Peanut,’ and I’d give [them] a peanut.” One day, when a child inquired about Peanut’s last name, Woodward impulsively responded “Butter,” and the artist-clown’s name was official.
After leaving New Jersey, Woodward moved to Philadelphia, settling in a massive Center City space. “[It] had no heat or electricity, but it was cheap, 100 bucks a month for 2,000 square feet,” he said.
Woodward started painting faces to make ends meet and experimented on himself. One day, he turned himself into a half beauty, half beast, a reference to the classic fairytale. His work eventually caught the attention of a reporter from Philadelphia Magazine and the press that followed jumpstarted his career.
He was hired to decorate partygoers at private celebrations and public events, and companies including AOL and Microsoft flew him and his assistants to paint faces at corporate gatherings. “We'd do about 200 parties a year,” he said. Although face-painting helped him earn a living, his studio time fueled his love and passion.
Despite the accolades and commissions, the gentle affirmations, encouragement, and enduring support from people he met along the way are what he treasured most. “If one person inspires the other person to be better than they are, and then you inspire that person … that's the way a great relationship is,” Woodward said, holding back tears.
Peanut Butter Gallery's open house is July 12, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., with upcoming special events to be announced. To set up an appointment or arrange a visit, email Woodward at offbeatartsy@gmail.com or text 267-233-3757.
