What's Tom doing today?

He's teaching at his alma mater! Tom is one of the senior graphic design instructors at The Art Institute of York — Pennsylvania, formerly Bradley Academy of the Visual Arts, and one of the most well-respected and consistently highest ranked instructors according to his students. Even students who aren't taking his classes tend to find their way to Tom's office for advice on design projects and to solicit his wisdom on being a versatile, go-to designer.

Creative Inspiration

Tom had an encouraging art teacher in high school, possibly the exemplar for his role on the AiYP faculty today. Gold Keys and Blue Ribbons and selections to the Pennsylvania's Governor's School for the Arts in his youth were the precursors to AIGA Awards, industry awards for excellence in design and advertising, and Addy Awards as a professional.  As far as teaching is concerned, like most great instructors Tom derives great rewards from helping to channel the innate creativity in today's young artists. He approaches each new day as he would each new design project -- as a challenge to his own creativity.

Getting Out There

Tom lives by the designers' credo: "There are no boring projects, just boring solutions." Sometimes the challenge of promoting the small, unknown business is more exciting and creatively rewarding, in his view, than working with the big names and red tape that accompanies them. His ongoing work in the freelance realm allows Tom to continually bring the real world to his students. Also, Tom prefers to take advantage of the opportunity to witness his teaching peers in action as he continues his formal education in the real classroom, not the virtual one!  His favorite words of encouragement for budding designers come from the great American architect and designer, Charles Eames: "The details are not the details. They make the design."

Tom graduated in 1988 from the Commercial Art program at Antonelli Institute of Art & Design, now known as the Graphic Design program at The Art Insituture of York — Pennsylvania, formerly Bradley Academy of the Visual Arts.