Tom Interviewed in F Magazine

The November issue of F Magazine, the student newspaper of the School of the Art Institute, is devoted to "Politics & Art" and features an interview with Tom, "The Artist as Citizen." Download PDF copy.

Join Tom Oct 30 - "Artists as Leaders"

The Center for Teaching Excellence at Columbia College and the Chicago Teaching Artists Collective present..

The Politics of Creativity - Artists and Educators as Leaders

When: 7:00 p.m. on Tues., Oct. 30 Where: C33 Space, Columbuia College, 33 E. Congress, first floor

This event will be free and open to the public. Please RSVP to dgodston@sbcglobal.net.

Do you believe that creativity is a national value? Should creativity be a principle to guide progressive public policy and civic engagement? Do artists and other cultural workers have any special set of values, skills or experience that might make them excellent leaders in the public sector? Do creative professionals have any special civic obligations as citizen-creators? Join us for an evening of conversation around the issues of creativity, power and leadership. The session will be kicked off by Tom Tresser, a long-time cultural activist and educator. If you'd like to read an essay on the subject, go to www.tresser.com/manifesto.html.

Joining Tom will be Susan Eleuterio and Allison Spicer to exchange views. An open dialogue session follows. The event will take place on Tuesday, October 30, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at the C33 Space (33. E. Congress).The Center for Teaching Excellence supports the continuing efforts of all Columbia faculty members to become more informed, confident, creative, and reflective practitioners of the art of teaching, thereby enhancing the quality of learning for a diverse community of students. Online at http://www.colum.edu/CTE/About/index.php.

The Chicago Teaching Artists Collective is a volunteer-based network of artists from all disciplines working together to build the field of the artist as teacher on local, national, and global levels. The CTAC is equally interested in the material as well as the aesthetic concerns of teaching artists; and living a functional lifestyle as well as pursuing the pedagogical, philosophical, spiritual, and social implications of our work. web site: http://chicagoteachingartist.typepad.com/collective

About the Presenters:

Susan Eleuterio is a folklorist, writer and educator and a volunteer workshop leader for the Neighborhood Writing Alliance. She is an active member of Chicagi Code Pink and NW Indiana Code Pink, which uses theater and other creative arts to organize for peace and other civic engagement.

Allison Spicer is an artist educator. Her research involves evaluation of art organizations, ethics of art non-profits, and the use of art education to build social capital. She worked in the development field for four years, gaining fundraising experience for when she opens her own art education studio. Allison has taught visual arts classes for youth at The British School of Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art-Chicago, Ralph J. Bunche Elementary School-Detroit, and Marwen Foundation-Chicago and served as the Coordinator of Studio Programs at Marwen Foundation in Chicago. Her website is http://amspicer.blogspot.com.

Tom Tresser is a consultant, producer, educator and trainer who can help individuals, companies and communities leverage and amplify their creative assets in order to make meaning, solve problems, create economic value and trigger civic engagement. To find out more about Tom, visit www.tresser.com.

Tom Hosts "Innovate Like Edison" Book Launch

At the Catalyst Ranch on Monday, October 29, I was master of Ceremonies at the book launch for Sarah Miller Caldicott, the co-author of "Innovate Like Edison - The Success System of America's Greatest Inventor."

Sarah is Edison's great-grand niece and she has had extensive access to Edison materials to write this fantastic guide book to one of America's greatest innovators. It could be said that Edison invented the modern world. Sarah gave a great presentation and showed us how he did it and how we can unleash our own inner Edison.

Read about the book is USA Today at http://www.usatoday.com/money/books/2007-10-28-innovate-like-edison_N.htm

Read Tom's Story on BP Indiana Tax Breaks

How would you feel if your property tax bill skyrocketed 1,200%? Then how would you feel knowing that four major corporations, including BP, got hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks that triggered the increase? That's what happened to thousands of homeowners in northwest Indiana. Read my report in the October 2007 issue of Conscious Choice. Download PDF copy.