Kurt Thum (1937-2021)
In his own words, Thum’s aim was “to convey a sense of the preciousness of the unspoiled landscape.” From the Jersey Shore and Vermont forests to Southwest Deserts, Thum’s works capture the interaction of form, color, pattern, texture, and perhaps most of all, light in nature. He created texture by including organic materials, such as sawdust, ferns or other foliage in many of his works.
Thum was a guest lecturer at the NYC Center for Art and Earth, where he delivered his talk “Art and the Environment.” He earned his B.A. in Fine Art from Upsala College and his M.A. in Fine Art from Kean University.
The NJ arts community has benefited from Thum’s active roles. He served on the Board of Trustees for the Monmouth County Arts Council and taught graduate-level art courses at Monmouth University. In addition, Thum juried or judged several exhibitions, or has served on the selection committee.
Kurt’s work has been collected across the U.S. and in Europe. He has exhibited in multiple galleries and museums throughout New Jersey, including Monmouth Museum, Georgian Court College, Pavilion Galleries, Kean College, The PNC Arts Center (Garden State Arts Center), Bell Laboratories World Headquarters, Jentra Gallery, Rabbet Gallery, and Gallery Jupiter.
