Tom Grubb’s artwork is most notably recognized for its mixture of mediums and kind juxtaposition between nature and technology, and furthermore between history and the future—his life could be most notably recognized for the same. A teacher, a soldier, a first mate, an artist, and an art director all in one lifetime—he truly is a divine blend of mediums. As a child, Tom’s mother encouraged him to always take time to look at the moon and stars through the trees in the forest, and, even now, as an accomplished man his eyes have never diverted far from the heavens of his youth. He has allowed his artwork and his life experiences to form a symbiotic relationship that have made him a wonderful success as both a person and an artist. He is unassuming, accessible, and most refreshingly unpretentious and his artwork reflects this aura.

Tom’s love of art began early. His mother often scolded his teachers for allowing him to decorate bulletin boards instead of doing his other school assignments. Tom’s love of art continued to flourish and he tried many different art forms, but in his late adolescence he grew tired of simply replicating other people’s art. He desired to create something uniquely his own. Even at a young age he knew that he needed life experiences to draw from for inspiration and time in which to develop himself as a person, so that he could later thrive as an artist.

He attended Appalachian State University and graduated in 1970 with degrees in Political Science and History. After graduating he relocated to Florence, South Carolina where he taught math and art. In 1971 his teaching career took on a new subject when he got drafted during the Vietnam War. He spent two years at Fort Bliss, Texas, as an instructor in missile technology. In 1974 he returned to teaching math in the public school system in Elizabeth City, NC from 1974-1978.

His time as a teacher is still evidenced in his work, because he seeks to broaden people’s thoughts through his artwork by inviting them to perceive their place within space and time. He seeks to create pieces that can be admired by a variety of eyes. For the observer familiar with star charts and space perception there are hidden details and intricacies for the skilled eye to admire. However, for those who are merely observing from a surface level, they can appreciate the textures, mixed mediums, and interesting use of rare objects. He meets people where they are—a true mark of a teacher.

In 1978 he resigned his tenure as a math teacher and went to the docks in Wanchese, North Carolina. He signed on with a fishing boat headed north to the Georges Banks to fish for scallops, and his journey into the Atlantic and into another world began. His time spent on the ocean was unlike any other experience in his life. He viewed the stars and sky through the riggings of the ship and experience motion continuously for two weeks at a time. During the summer of 1979 Tom was moved from the deck and promoted to First Mate. He ran the ship when the Captain was off watch. In the wheelhouse he would navigate and plot the course of the ship. It was this time in the wheelhouse where his mind began to view everything through the eyes of an artist, and later his artwork would reflect these defining moments as a First Mate.

During one of his breaks from his trips out at sea he began coordinating with the Master’s Program at East Carolina University. He was enrolled in the program and was to begin in the fall, but when classes started he was still two hundred miles out at sea. Obviously, he was late for school. The staff at East Carolina had not yet met him and they later told him that they had no idea what this fisherman would bring to the School of Art. His time spent at sea working with ships and seeing the stars gave him the source material for his art and filled him with a sense of wonder at nature, God, and the universe. He had achieved the life experience he needed to create original artwork. His time at East Carolina allowed him to reconnect with his artistic side, and while he was no longer at sea a lot of his experiences set sail through his artwork. He graduated in 1983 with a Master of Fine Arts degree.

After completing his graduate studies he went to work as a visiting artist at Robeson Community College and Fayetteville Technical Community College from 1984 to 1988 through the North Carolina Visiting Artist Program. During this experience his teaching and art coalesced, and it did not go unnoticed. In 1987 The Arts Council of North Carolina chose Tom to receive the North Carolina Visual Artist Fellowship for his work in the arts. In 1988 he received an Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County emerging artist grant. He was also awarded a Southern Arts Federation/NEA regional fellowship for sculpture in 1989.

He has been the Executive Director of the Fayetteville Museum of Art since 1990, and prior to that he was the interim director and artist-in-residence at the Museum. He has been, and continues to be, a driving force for change within the Fayetteville community. His passion for art has inspired him to fight tirelessly to see that projects such as the new Museum of Art at Festival Park come to fruition. One day his efforts will build a cultural centerpiece for Fayetteville that people will gladly drive distances to see.

While he isn’t revolutionizing art in Fayetteville he can be found creating artwork in his home studio. He received the National Endowment for the Arts project grant for his sculpture “Star Gate 2003” in 2003. He created another piece, “Sprint Voyager”, which was made for the Festival of Flight in 2003. His work has been exhibited and is in collections and museums in the United States and abroad. Tom’s vision as a young man has come to actualization. As he is quoted saying, “Through the darkness of the heavens shine the lights of knowledge.”