Tom Grady: 100 Views of Worcester

ABOUT THIS EXHIBITION

April 30 through August 27, 2022

Artist reception and walking tour event: Saturday, May 28, 2022, 11:00AM-3:00 PM

ArtsWorcester at The Hanover Theatre

This ambitious series of small oil paintings depicts with pride and love Worcester’s everyday vistas, buildings, and streetscapes. As a 300th anniversary gift to the City, the entire series goes on view during the last half of May in additional downtown venues, including the Printers Building, the Jean McDonough Arts Center, and the YWCA.

Thank you to The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts for two decades of partnership. This exhibition is produced with the support of the George F. and Sybil H. Fuller Foundation and the Schwartz Charitable Foundation. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Worcester Arts Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Tom Grady specializes in oil painting, drawing, portraits, and sculptural artworks. His award-winning pieces have been exhibited throughout New England, and he has completed large-scale outdoor murals in Worcester and Providence. Tom teaches studio art classes at Worcester State University, Assumption University, and the Worcester Art Museum. Grady holds a BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and an MFA in Visual Arts from Lesley University.

ARTIST STATEMENT

“I have created a series of 100 oil paintings depicting the city of Worcester showing a mix of vistas, buildings, streetscapes and interiors. This body of work is a celebration of the city that I have lived in–and continue to work in–and have become incredibly attached to over the years. For me, this was a project of both familiarity and discovery, focusing on the areas I readily travel but also exploring those that were unfamiliar.

“Several paintings in the Worcester Art Museum’s collection served as my influence: specifically, a small landscape painting by George Innes titled The Meadow and Charles Sheeler's painting, City Interior. The city itself is an inspiration; its history and architecture and how it lives in the landscape. This series communicates a sense of place in time. I am here now, and this is the beauty I see and want to share with you.”

–Tom Grady

INTERVIEW WITH THE ARTIST

ArtsWorcester: Can you tell me a little bit about yourself, and your connections with Worcester?

Tom Grady: I was born in Worcester. I lived in Worcester from 2004-2014. I have been teaching at the Worcester Art Museum since 2000. I also teach at Assumption University and Worcester State University. I have been a member of ArtsWorcester since 2000. It seems in some capacity I have been in or orbiting the city for quite a while.

AW: What inspired you to create this series, and why 100 views?

TG: I was inspired by the city itself. 100 is an interesting number. I thought if I fell short of 100, I could just call the exhibit 93 Views of Worcester, or whatever number I finished at, but the postcard has already been printed, so I guess I have to get to 100 now.

AW: How do you choose the locations to paint, and can you say more about the perspectives and angles from which these locations are portrayed? Some appear to be from the perspective of a pedestrian, while others, like The Water Tower, are very different.

TG: I look for scenes of aesthetic and cultural interest. I am particularly drawn to creating paintings that celebrate the everyday, banal, mundane and overlooked.

AW: What would you describe as the aim or mission of this project?

TG: The mission of this project is to explore Worcester, creating paintings of the city, and share them with the public.

AW: Given that the City is marking its 300th anniversary this year, what do you think someone one hundred years from now would think about Worcester, looking at this series?

TG: I wish I could be there to view them 100 years from now. It makes me think about images of Worcester 100 years ago, from 1922, viewed through the filter of nostalgia, seeing the past as a simpler time. It is hard to imagine what changes will happen but I have confidence it will be for the better.

//// This interview was conducted by Riani Suarez, Clark University Class of 2022.