Artist Talk with Tom Sarmo

Artist Talk with Tom Sarmo

Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026

Time:  2:00 – 3:00pm

Cost: Free

Location: Foothills Art Center – Astor House, 1133 Arapahoe St

Description:

Embracing the Blessing and Breaking the Curse

My aim is/was to disintegrate the chains of “aiming to please” the real and imagined critical audience of my artworks, and to neutralize my efforts to reach artistry through the quest for perfection. 

For me, as well as many artists, art has always been both a blessing and a curse; bringing the joy of creating along with the curse of striving for some unreachable pinnacle of precision/perfection. My belief is that true creativity is stifled by the curse, and that the blessing is only found in releasing the imagination and letting the innate imagination flow without the restriction of fear.

The effort and task of two years was to try to let go and allow the pleasure of creation to flow in a relaxed manner. Silencing the internal voices–my own and the imagined or real voices of critics–took effort. It’s been a slow process; at times very successful and at others, honestly still a task-in-process.

-Tom Sarmo

Contact: For any questions, please email Leslie Fitzsimmons at leslie@foothillsartcenter.org.