Tom Block
www.tomblock.com
Kunstart: Malerei
Technik: Ölmalerei
Statement:
Tom Block is an artist, writer and activist best known for his work that delves into the search for spiritual meaning in the contemporary era. He has developed an activist art theory, “Prophetic Activist Art,” which he has implemented through a variety of projects, looked for the intersection including the Shalom/Salaam Project, Human Rights Painting Project, Cousins Public Art Project, Response to Machiavelli Project and, most recently, In the Garden of the Mystical Redoubt.
His art has been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the United States and Europe, and is represented in permanent collections at the Irish Centre for Human Rights (Galway, Ireland); Contemporary Art Museum of Montecatini (Italy); Montgomery County Housing Authority (MD), Portland Community College (OR); George Washington University (DC); Georgetown University Hospital (DC); HNTB Architecture (DC), Hanover College (IN) and the Summit Art School (MD). He has been awarded monetary grants and other support from the Maryland State Arts Council (MD), Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation (NY), Sugarman Foundation (CA), Nelson Talbott Foundation (MD), Puffin Foundation (NJ), New York Foundation for the Arts (NY), Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (MD) and Amnesty International (NY).
He has spoken about his theories of using art as an activist tool at conferences and universities, presenting the following papers: Prophetic Activist Art; Artist as Shaman in an Age of Uncertainty; Towards a Mystical Understanding of Artistic Process; Below the Radar: The Spiritual Impulse Buried Within Post-Modern Art; Machiavellian Resistance: A Muscular Response to a World in Crisis; Identity as Conflict and War as Love: How the Spiritual Quest has been Co-opted to Sell War.
He has delivered papers and taught workshops at venues around the country including: Towards and Abrahamic Family Reunion (Fetzer Institute, MI, 2008), Patristic, Medieval and Renaissance Studies Conference (Villanova University, PA, 2008) Perspectives on Creativity (Holy Family University, PA, 2008), Conference On The Arts In Society (Institute of Art, Birmingham, England, 2008), Rethinking Resistance (Emory University, GA, 2007), American Popular Culture Association (Boston, MA, 2007), Mid Atlantic Popular Culture Association (Philadelphia, PA, 2007), International Peace Research Association (University of Calgary, 2006), Peace and Justice Studies Association (Manhattan College, NY, 2006 and Elizabethtown College, PA, 2007), Southeast College Art Conference (Vanderbilt University, TN, 2006), Power of Art (Grand Valley State, MI, 2007), Interdisciplinary Art in the New Millennia (Goddard College, 2004), Manhattan College (NY, 2008), Hanover College (IN, 2008), University of Arkansas (AR, 2008), Johnson State College (VT, 2008), Franklin College (IN, 2007), East Carolina University (NC, 2007), American University (DC, 2007), Antioch College (OH, 2007), Ohio University (OH, 2007), Franklin and Marshall College (PA, 2006), George Washington University (DC, 2004), Goddard College (VT, 2004) and others.
Vita / Lebenslauf:
Selected One-Person Exhibitions:
2009 Gallery Aferro, Newark, NJ
Hamiltonian Gallery, Washington DC
Washington Project for the Arts, Washington DC
Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, Amnesty International, Silver Spring, MD
Visions Gallery, Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, MD
2008 Martinetti Gallery, Johnson State College, Johnson, VT
HUB Robeson Gallery, Penn State University, State College, PA
United Nations, Tanenbaum Center for Inter-religious Understanding, NY
Delaplaine Visual Arts Center, Frederick, MD
Anne Kittrell Gallery, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
Alumni Gallery, Manhattan College, New York, NY
Ciferni Gallery, Washington Theological Seminary, Washington DC
Hanover College Art Gallery, Hanover, IN
2007 Dayton Peace Museum, Dayton, OH
Fisher Gallery, Northern Virginia Community College, Arlington, VA
Trisolini Gallery, Ohio University, Athens, OH
Julian Scott Memorial Gallery, Johnson State College, Johnson, VT
Heliport Gallery, Silver Spring, MD
Herndon Gallery, Antioch College, Yellow Springs, OH
Mendenhall Gallery, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
2006 Project 06 Arts Festival, Galway, Ireland
2005 HNTB Gallery, Washington D.C.
Phillips Museum, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA
Beneficial-Hodson Library, Hood College, Frederick, MD
Tessera Gallery, Winston-Salem, NC
Saville Gallery, Allegany Arts Council, Cumberland, MD
2004 HNTB Gallery, Washington D.C.
Fine Gallery, Bethesda, MD
Gelman Library, George Washington University, Washington D.C.
Artspace, Richmond, VA
Montpelier Cultural Arts Center, Laurel, MD
2003 Eckles Gallery, George Washington University, Washington D.C.
Pearl Conard Gallery, Ohio State University, Mansfield, OH
Ratner Museum, Bethesda, MD
A.R.C. Gallery, Chicago, IL
2002 Swords into Plowshares Peace Center and Gallery, Detroit, MI
Artemisia Gallery, Chicago, IL
AFL-CIO, Washington DC
2001 Kresge Museum, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
A.R.C. Gallery, Chicago, IL
Gallery 10, Washington DC
2000 Spanish Embassy, Washington DC
Phoenix Gallery, New York, NY
1999 Gallery 10, Washington DC
1998 Arts Club of Washington, Washington DC
Athena Gallery, Savannah, GA
1997 Artists’ Museum, Washington DC
artsJAM! Gallery, Washington DC
1995 Galeria Labirintho, Oporto, Portugal
1994 Espacio Chiado, Lisbon, Portugal
Camara Municipal do Castelo da Vide, Castelo da Vide, Portugal
1993 Corral de las Ciguenas, Caceres, Spain
Camara Municipal do Castelo da Vide, Castelo da Vide, Portugal
Biblioteca Publico del Estado, Caceres, Spain
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2009 Hamiltonian Gallery, Washington D.C.
Northern Lights Gallery, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
2008 Boxheart Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA
Scope Art Fair, Art Basel, Miami, FL
Alpha/Omega Gallery, Columbus, OH
James Backus Gallery, Maryland State Arts Council, Baltimore, MD
Temple Judea Museum, Elkins Park, PA
Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockport, ME
2007 Wein Gallery, Presentation College, Aberdeen, SD
Fine Arts Gallery, Westchester Community College, NY
Artscape, Community College of Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD
Human Rights Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY
Tevis Gallery, Westminster County Arts Council, Westminster, MD
An Investigation of Contemporary Drawing, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN
2006 Houghton Gallery, Cooper Union College, New York, NY
Marlboro Gallery, Prince George’s Community College, Laurel, MD
2005 ArtSpace, Richmond, VA
Ratner Museum, Bethesda, MD
Pyramid Atlantic Arts Center, Silver Spring, MD
Gavilan College Art Gallery, Gilroy, CA
Howard County Arts Center, Ellicott City, MD
Main Line Art Center, Haverford, PA
2004 Phillips Museum, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA
Olin Fine Arts Center, Washington & Jefferson College, Washington, PA
Athens Institute of Contemporary Art, Athens, GA
Mid-Atlantic New Painting 2004, Mary Washington College, Fredericksburg, VA
2003 Fine Gallery, Bethesda, MD
ARTery, Washington D.C.
2002 Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum, Coshocton, OH
A.R.C. Gallery, Chicago, IL
Jewish Museum of Maryland, Annapolis, MD
Washington Project for the Arts/Corcoran, Washington DC
2001 Biella Gallery, Vienna, VA
Galeria Via Venezia, Venice, Italy
Marino Marini Museum, Pistoia, Italy
Contemporary Art Museum of Montecatini, Montecatini, Italy
Maryland Art Place, Baltimore, MD
Gallery 10, Washington DC
2000 Courtyard Gallery, Washington DC
Four Directions Gallery, Grand Junction, CO
Galeria Assioma, Prato, Italy
Palm Springs International Art Fair, Palm Springs, CA
Art Without Walls, New York, NY
Gallery 10, Washington DC
1999 Wente Gallery, Livermore, CA
Galeria Assioma, Prato, Italy
Galeria Riva Sinistra, Florence, Italy
Gallery 10, Washington DC
1998 Phoenix Gallery, New York, NY
Gallery 10, Washington DC
1997 Gallery 10, Washington DC
Athena Gallery, Savannah, GA
1996 Aaron Gallery, Washington DC
1995 Aaron Gallery, Washington DC
Galeria El Gayo Arte, Madrid, Spain
1994 Galeria MAC, Lisbon, Portugal
Galeria YGREGGO, Lisbon, Portugal
Galeria Traviata, Caceres, Spain
Sala El Brocense, Caceres, Spain
1993 Galeria Traviata, Caceres, Spain
Biblioteca del Estado, Caceres, Spain
Selected Bibliography:
* Gazette Newspapers (MD). “Taking a Stand,” Karen Schafer, May 6, 2009
* Gazette Newspapers (MD). “Silver Spring artist crafts portraits of courage,” Jeremy Arias, 4/29/09
* Washington Post Express (DC). “Pieces of a Dream: Secret Garden,” Arion Berger, April 16, 2009
* Sufism World Report (GA), "Exhibit explores spiritual journeys," Claudia Rousseau, April 8, 2009
* Center Daily Times, (PA). “Block’s ‘Response’ Still Relevant,” Jared Swanson, October 3, 2008
* Sephardic Heritage News (NY). Special Tom Block Edition, July 23, 2008
* Frederick News Post (MD), “No Measly Easels for Big Ideas,” Lauren Larocca, May 15, 2008
* Manhattan Magazine (NY), “Human Rights Painting Project Depicts Global Leaders,” Spring 2008
* Fayetteville Morning News (AR), “Into the Realm of Social Impact,” Becca Martin, April 10, 2008
* Madison Courier (IN), “Artist Calls Attention to Human Rights,” Pat Whitney, January 12, 2008
* Gazette Newspapers (MD), “A Voting ‘Block’,” Michelle Zenarosa, August 1, 2007
* Gazette Newspapers (MD), “Give Salaam, Shalom a Chance,” Karen Schafer, February 28, 2007
* PeaceTalks FM (Calgary, Canada), Interview on my Peace Activist Art, February 12, 2007
* CoffeeHouse TV (MD, VA, DC, PA, NC) “Convergences” interview, February 9, 2007
* Gazette Newspapers (MD), “Art Helps Religions Converge,” Meredith Hooker, January 31, 2007
* Cincinnati.Com (OH), “Human Rights Exhibit,” Dr. Colette Palamar, January 26, 2007
* Washington Jewish Week (MD), “Art Overcoming Politics,” Aaron Leibel, January 25, 2007
* Galway Bay FM 95.8 (Galway, Ireland), Interview, "Human Rights Painting Project," July 17, 2006
* Galway Advertiser (Galway, Ireland), "Portraits of Heroes for Galway," July 13, 2006
* Gazette Newspapers (MD), “Cousins Mixes Abstraction, Philosophy,” C. Rousseau, August 31, 2005
* Greesnboro News-Record (NC), “Human Rights Painting Project,” Keith Buckner, July 28, 2005
* Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, MD), “Struggles Reflected in Exhibit,” Sandy Alexander, July 15, 2005
* Winston-Salem Journal (NC), “A Face on Human Rights,” L. Somerville McMillan, July 12, 2005
* Winston-Salem Journal (Winston-Salem, NC), “In the Struggle,” Tom Patterson, July 3, 2005
* Cumberland Times-News (Cumberland, MD), “Exhibit Displays Rights Struggle,” December 31, 2004
* Washington Jewish Week (DC), “Art in the Service of Politics,” A. Leibel, September 9, 2004
* Style Weekly (Richmond, VA), “Activision,” Steve Jones, June 30, 2004
* Washington Post (DC), “Painter Mixes Art, Philosophy and Activism,” S. Gebhardt, April 29, 2004
* WMFD TV (Mansfield, OH), Interview, Human Rights Painting Project, September 30, 2003
* Washington Post (DC), “Human Rights Painting Project: Pick of the Week,” August 2, 2003
* Gazette Newspapers (MD), “Portraits of Pain,” Karen Schafer, July 30, 2003
* The Reader (Chicago, IL), “Human Rights Painting Project: Pick of the Week,” May 2, 2003
* The Detroiter (Detroit, MI), “Tom Block: Cousins,” Nick Sousanis, December 2002
* Metro Times (Detroit, MI), “A Commitment to Understanding,” George Tysh, Nov. 27, 2002
* Detroit Jewish News (MI), “Painter Captures Shared Spiritual Paths,” Lori Weiss, October 4, 2002
* Sojourners Magazine (Washington D.C.), “Human Rights Painting Project,” R. Rivera, Summer 2002
* National Public Radio “Talk of the Nation” (Washington DC), Interview, May 1, 2002
* Copley News Service (National), “Prisoners of Conscience,” Fyllis Hockman, April 7, 2002
* Gazette Newspapers (MD), “Artist puts Human Face on Suffering,” Chris Slattery, April 3, 2002
* Detroit Jewish News (MI), “The Paintings of Tom Block,” Suzanne Chessler, December 14, 2001
* La Nazione (Montecatini, Italy), “(Bath of Art at the Spa),” Faustina Tori, September 6, 2001
* Link 6 (Baltimore, MD), "The Tales We Tell,” Elizabeth Donovan, Summer 2001.
* WildHeart Journal (VA), "Tom Block: Art & the Mystical Vision," Eliezer Sobel, Summer 2001
* Washington Times (Washington DC), "An Artist's Enigmatic Friends," P. Butters, February 8, 1997.
* ABC (Madrid, Spain), "(Young Artists Group Show)," Consuelo Perez, September 29, 1995.
* Correio da Manha (Lisbon, Portugal), "(Painting Live)," Joao Alameda, December 4, 1994.
* Hoy (Caceres, Spain), "(The Purpose of Painting is to Reflect the Ineffable)," Juan Domingo Fernandez, November 17, 1993.
* Hoy (Caceres, Spain), "(Technique is not as Important as It Was)," J. D. Fernandez, June 1993
* Extremadura (Caceres, Spain), "(Just Questions That Transmit Emotions')," A. Villar, June 1993
Selected Awards, Honors and Public Art:
2008 Hamiltonian Fellow, Washington DC. Selected for art career incubator fellowship.
2008 Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County, MD. Creative Project Grant.
2008 Marie Walsh Sharpe Space Program, NY. Selected as alternate for studio space.
2008 Maryland State Arts Council, MD. Individual Artist Award.
2007 Takoma Park/Silver Spring Voice, MD. Voted “Artist of the Year” by readers.
2007 Kennett Street Art Wall, MD. Commissioned to install permanent public art works.
2007 Impact Silver Spring, MD. “Builder’s Award” for founding Space 7:10.
2006 Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation, NY. Monetary grant for Shalom/Salaam Project.
2006 Cooper Union Residency, NY. One-month summer painting residency.
2006 Nelson Talbott Foundation, MD. Monetary grant for Human Rights Painting Project.
2005 Sugarman Foundation, Novato, CA. Monetary grant for Shalom/Salaam Project.
2005 Artist Adorned Transit Stops, Tempe, AZ. Commissioned to install public art in bus stops.
2003-2005 New York Foundation for the Arts, NY. Fiscal sponsorship for Shalom/Salaam Project
2002, 2004 Puffin Foundation, Teaneck NJ. Monetary grants for two different projects.
1998 Montgomery County Art Association, MD. Collaborative Art Program Grant.
1996, 1997 Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County, MD. Outreach Program Grant.
1995 Fifth Annual Young Painters Competition, Sala El Brocense, Caceres, Spain.
Papers Presented:
2009 Al-Azhar University and the West, Cairo, Egypt. “The Maimonides of Cairo: Jewish-Sufis.
2008 Patristic, Medieval, and Renaissance Studies, Villanova College, PA. “Maimonidean Prophecy.”
2008 Abrahamic Family Reunion, Fetzer Institute, MI. “Prophetic Activist Art.”
2008 Arts & Society, Birmingham Institute of Art & Design, England. “Prophetic Activist Art.”
2008 Perspectives on Creativity, Holy Family University, PA. “Painting as Prayer.”
2007 Mid Atlantic Popular Culture Association, Philadelphia, PA. “War as Love.”
2007 Peace and Justice Studies Association, Elizabethtown College, PA. “War as Love.”
2007 ACA/PCA Annual Conference, Boston, MA. “Spanish Jews Under Sufi Influence.”
2007 Rethinking Resistance 2007, Emory University, Atlanta, GA. “Machiavellian Resistance.”
2006 Southeast College Art Conference, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN. Chaired session on using art for social change; presented: “Artist as Shaman in an Age of Uncertainty.”
2006 Peace and Justice Studies Association, Manhattan College, NY. “Prophetic Activist Art.”
2006 International Peace Research Association, University of Calgary. “Prophetic Activist Art.”
2004 George Washington University, DC. Symposium on the Shalom/Salaam Project.
2004 Committing Voice, Goddard College, Plainfield, VT. “Shalom/Salaam Project.”
Selected Academic Work
2008 Johnson State College, VT. Lecture, workshops and studio visits.
2008 University of Arkansas, AR. Lecture on “Prophetic Activist Art.”
2008 Manhattan College, NY. Lecture on “Prophetic Activist Art.”
2008 Hanover College, IN. Series of lectures, workshops and talks over three days.
2007 Ohio University, OH. Lecture on “Prophetic Activist Art,” plus graduate studio visits.
2007 McDaniel College, MD. Lecture on “Prophetic Activist Art.”
2007 Grand Valley State University, MI. Invited panelist for “Power of Art?” symposium.
2007 American University, DC. Activist art workshop in conjunction with Creative Peace Initiatives.
2007 Franklin College, IN. “Robert & Elizabeth Johnson Professorship in Leadership” lecture series.
2007 Antioch College, OH. Lecture on “Prophetic Activist Art.”
2007 East Carolina University, NC. Lecture on “Prophetic Activist Art.”
2005 Franklin & Marshall College, PA. Spoke about Human Rights Painting Project.
2005 Hood College, Frederick, MD. Spoke about Human Rights Painting Project.
2005 Brandeis University, Waltham, MA. Spoke to alumnae about my art, at Fine Gallery.
2003 George Washington University, DC. Spoke about Human Rights Painting Project.
2003 Ohio State University, Mansfield, OH. Spoke about the Human Rights Painting Project.
2002 Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY. Spoke about the Human Rights Painting Project.
2002 American University, Washington DC. Spoke about the Human Rights Painting Project.
2001 Michigan State University, Kresge Museum, East Lansing, MI. Spoke on my art.
2000, 2001 Jewish Study Center, Washington DC. Taught a class on Hasidism and Sufism.
2000 University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD. Spoke on Spanish art and culture.
Selected Work Experience:
2007-present Global Cultures Mural Project. Creative director of public art project.
2001-present Human Rights Painting Project. Creator, director and artist of project.
2001-present Freelance Writer. Publish art reviews, historical pieces, essays and other writing.
2008 Alpha/Omega Gallery, Columbus, OH. Featured panelist for activist art symposium.
2008 Calliope Theater Company, MD. Staged reading of “White Noise.”
2008 St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, DC. Art & Spirit Coffeehouse featured speaker.
2007 Silver Spring Stage, MD. “Frank Johnson” produced as part of one-act play festival.
2007 UNESCO Center for Peace, MD. Keynote speaker for International Model UN.
2007 Jewish Community Relations Council, Washington D.C. Presented Shalom/Salaam.
2005-2006 Space 7:10, Silver Spring, MD. Founder & director of alternative art space.
2003-2005 Takoma Park Arts & Humanities Commission, MD. Commissioner; Vice Chairman.
2004 Jewish Federation of Greater Washington D.C. Spoke about Shalom/Salaam.
2002 Arise, Washington DC. Featured speaker. Spoke on making art socially relevant.
2002 The Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition, Washington DC. Guest Speaker.
1997-1998 National Children's Center, Washington, DC. Art teacher.
1997 Dwelling Place Homeless Program, Gaithersburg, MD. Workshops for homeless.
1995-1997 Longview School for the Handicapped, Gaithersburg, MD. Art teacher.
1995-1997 Montgomery County Alternative Program, Gaithersburg, MD. Art teacher
1992-1995 Caceres, Spain. Lived and worked in western Spain.
1988-1990 Photographic Resource Center Newsletter, Boston, MA. Editor-in-Chief.
1984-1988 Freelance Journalist. Published in major newspapers around the United States.
Co-authored the Pelican Guide to Maryland, Gretna, LA, 1987.
Charity Fundraising with Paintings:
2001-present Amnesty International, NY
2008-present Abrahamic Family Reunion Project, Kalamazoo, MI
2008 Arthritis Foundation, Washington DC
2008 Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, NY
2005 UNESCO Center for Peace, Frederick, MD
2005 Empowering Women International, Alexandria, VA
2005 National Center for Children and Families, Bethesda, MD
2005 Advocates for Survivors of Torture and Trauma, Baltimore, MD
2004 StandUp for Kids: Boston, Boston, MA
2003 Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, Washington DC
2003 Palestinian Children’s Welfare Fund, Austin, TX
2000 Pine Street Inn Homeless Shelter, Boston, MA
1999 Bread for the City, Washington, DC
Selected Public and Corporate Collections:
Irish Centre for Human Rights, Galway, Ireland
Contemporary Art Museum, Montecatini, Italy
Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Montgomery County, MD
George Washington University, Washington D.C.
Georgetown University Hospital, Washington D.C.
Hanover College, Hanover, IN
Portland Community College, Portland, OR
Washington Theological Union, Washington D.C.
Abrahamic Family Reunion Project, Kalamazoo, MI
HNTB Architecture, Washington D.C.
Anchor Appraisal Company, Boston, MA
Summit Art School, Gaithersburg, MD
Gallery Representation:
Hamiltonian Gallery, Washington D.C.
Boxheart Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA
Education:
1987 Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY. B.A., English.
Aktivitäten / Ausstellungen:
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english
español
francais
russkii
