Thomas P. Rudd

1937 - 2018

Today, the art world lost one of its best!
Thomas P. Rudd (1937-2018) of Salem, Ore., and Calumet, Mich., as well as, many other places, devoted his life to the visual arts as a sculptor, painter, printmaker, teacher, activist, public art administrator, curator, promoter, art collector and mentor.
About 10 years ago, Tom summed up his life like this: ""After a couple lives which involved growing up in northwestern Pennsylvania, a few years in the U.S. Coast Guard, and a lackluster career in the grain business, I decided to follow my muse and study art. From that point in 1970 till now I have been in the art world, always making art but making money from teaching and as an arts administrator. My teaching, visiting and artist residencies took me through reform schools, prisons and some pretty outstanding colleges and universities across the U.S. As an arts administrator, I facilitated a state program for support of individual artists, directed projects for a public art program (Michigan) and was the visual arts coordinator for yet another state arts commission (Oregon). I have always been an artist's advocate but have remained on track as a working artist through all these periods by producing, placing and showing art in museums, art centers and galleries across the country.""
Perhaps Leonardo DaVinci said it best, ""As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings happy death.""
In addition to being an artist, Tom was an avid fly-fisherman, a die-hard liberal and a life-long environmentalist who was glad to know that pot smoking was finally legal in Michigan.
Tom Rudd is survived by his wife, Margo McCafferty; their son, Max; stepdaughter, Ursula (Vernon); son, Daniel; daughters, Molly (Rice), Katie (Storo) and Cara; grandsons, Ian, Dominic and Finnr; granddaughters, Chloe and Lillian; his sisters, Helen, Ruth and Donna; as well as, many nieces and nephews.
His family will miss him dearly along with his hundreds and hundreds of friends!
A celebration of Tom Rudd's life will be held at a later date.