Tom Wilson art sought for 2020 Biggs Museum exhibit

The Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover is planning a large exhibition and publication of the works of Tom Wilson (1946-95) for August 2020.

The museum’s staff is actively seeking information on any and all works that can be identified by his hand in this large study of his artistic production in southern Delaware from the 1960s through 1995. Those who own or know of works by Wilson are asked to contact Biggs Museum Curator Ryan Grover at rgrover@biggsmuseum.org or 302-674-2111, Ext. 108. Museum representatives are happy to maintain a person’s anonymity if desired.

Wilson grew up on the Georgetown farm of his parents Houston and Kitty Wilson, and studied painting at the Rhode Island School of Design. After graduating in 1969, he started a portrait painting studio in Paris where he also modeled for top men’s clothing designers. He was photographed by such luminaries as Francesco Scavullo and Richard Avedon.

Leaving modeling after a few years, Wilson returned to Delaware to live and paint. Shortly after establishing himself in Lewes, Wilson met and moved in with Leo Medisch (1953-2013), co-owner of the Back Porch Café in Rehoboth Beach, with whom he spent the rest of his life. Wilson acted as artistic director scheduling fine art exhibitions at the Back Porch and exhibiting there annually. He was represented by the Framehouse Gallery on Route 9 in Cool Spring and another, as yet unidentified, gallery in San Diego. Wilson died at age 49 in 1995 due to complications of the AIDS virus.

While Wilson painted many portrait commissions in the region, he is perhaps best remembered for his large and bold floral still lifes, many painted from his own garden on Indiana Road in Lewes. His haunting photorealistic architectural studies from all over Sussex and Kent counties are notable for depicting the bright coastal sunlight. He excelled at capturing many Delaware personalities and showcasing a wide swath of the underrepresented populations of people of color, farm laborers and the LGBTQ community in his inspiring compositions.

For more information about the Biggs Museum, go to www.biggsmuseum.org.