Tom Torluemke

Cool Books, Food For Thought. at Hawthorne Community Center

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Like a children’s book illustration, imagine the magic visitors experience when they approach a stunningly crafted, wood refrigerator in the corridor off of the lobby of the museum. When they open the door, the light goes on, illuminating the possibilities of books they can read.

A refrigerator may be the most often used item in people’s homes. It’s welcoming and draws one to it. It spontaneously inspires use, encourages togetherness, and leads to good health.

It’s accessible art with an ulterior motive. Feed your mind and heart. Read a book.

Cool Books, Food For Thought.



Cool Books, Food For Thought. 2015

Wood
78 x 36 x 28 inches
Fabricated in collaboration with master woodworker, Michael Harrigan of Architectural Accents, Munster, IN



About the Artist

Tom Torluemke (born, 1959 in Chicago, Illinois) is an Indiana-based contemporary American artist. His practice spans 30 years and includes works in painting, drawing, sculpture, and installations in a variety of mediums. He is known for his powerful, no-holds-barred approach to subject matter relating to socio-political, ethical, and humanistic themes.

Solo and group exhibition highlights include: “Fearsome Fable—Tolerable Truth” at the Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago; “After Glow” at The Chicago Cultural Center; “The Inland See: Contemporary Art Around Lake Michigan”, curated by James Yood; “Critic’s Choice” at Jan Cicero Gallery in Chicago; “Present” at the Hyde Park Art Center in Chicago; “In the Company of Strangers” at the Brauer Museum of Art, Valparaiso, Indiana; “Bounce” at the South Bend Regional Museum of Art in South Bend, Indiana; “Peace in the Arts” Baíhai International Peace Conference in San Francisco; “The Alabama Watercolor Society Exhibition” at the Birmingham Museum of Art; and the “In Indiana” series at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

In 2013, he was a featured speaker at TEDx PurdueU at Purdue University. In 2008, he was a winner of the Great Ideas Competition of the Arts Council of Indianapolis with his project “Light The Way” completed in December 2008 and named a recipient of the Efroymson Contemporary Arts Fellowship (Central Indiana Community Foundation) for the period of April 2007—April 2008.

His over 20 public art commissions throughout the Midwest serve as a testament to the relevance and scope of his ideas and his ability to present them in a meaningful context within their communities.

INSTALLATION DATE:

AUGUST 2015-SEPTEMBER 2019

INSTALLATION LOCATION:

Click the map below for directions.