About the Artist Thom Kapheim

Thom Kapheim is an educator and  prolific artist, having produced art works in many media, designed theatrical sets, and illustrated many books.

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Thom's work speaks to the inner self and reveals the truths, fears and anxieties of our society.  His vision of fantasy and dreams is supported by his masterful use of line and color.  Thom's artwork has been exhibited extensively throughout the United States,and his work can be found in major galleries as well as private and corporate collections. Below is some of the story of Thom Kapheim, a few of the notable projects in which Thom Kapheim has participated, and those he is currently producing.

BIOGRAPHY Thom is a lifelong resident of Lake County, Illinois, who received his B.F.A. in Sculpture and an M.F.A. in Print-making and Drawing from Northern Illinois University. Thom lives with his wife, Carol.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS and AWARDS Thom Kapheim was a 2007 recipient of the Illinois Alliance for Arts Award for Ourstanding Contributions in Art Education by a Secondary School Visual Art Educator.  Thom was involved in creating a new approach to holistic and multidisciplinary arts education, and the co-creator of a performance- based stage production called "Fusion".  Fusion was given the 1998 Innovators in Education Award, and the project was presented at the ISACD convention and the National Gifted Convention in 1999

ILLUSTRATIONS Thom has illustrated many books; his woodcuts were used in a pictorial narrative of The Epic of Gilgamesh, his paintings and pastels were used for editions of Prometheus Bound, The Iliad, The Odyssey, and Virgil's Aeneid.

FOAM Thom has done extensive experimenting with foam as a sculptural material for stage construction and design.  Because of his innovative use of foam techniques, he has been invited to present at workshops, theatre festivals, and conventions.

COMMITTEES and POSITIONS Thom Kapheim has served on state evaluation comittees in arts education, has taught in secondary schools and at the college level, was elected to two terms on the school board of the Wauconda Unit School District #118, and served as a board Vice-President.

BOOKS Thom is currently writing one book on the use of foam which he is pioneering, another book on learning to conceptualize visual space in illustration, and a third book which is a autobiographical children's story.

COMPETITIONS and A MOVIE Thom Kapheim was a finalist in the Altar Design Competition for First Presbyterian Church in Wheaton, Illinois Thom was invited to participate in the Walter Burley Griffin Monument Competition in Camberra, Australia Two of Thom's drawings were used on the set of the movie Murder in Houston

EXHIBITIONS and COLLECTIONS Click here to see a partial listing of collections and exhibitions of Thom Kapheim's work.