Founder's Review

Robert “Bob” Tomolillo – A Life Etched in Vision and Purpose

 

Some artists create to fill a gallery. Robert “Bob” Tomolillo creates to awaken a spirit. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, his story unfolds like one of his own lithographs—rich in contrast, deliberate in every mark, and infused with a vision that transcends time.

At Boston’s Impressions Workshop and The Printshop in Amsterdam, he discovered that printmaking wasn’t merely about transferring ink to paper—it was about transferring ideas to humanity. Those early years forged not just his technical mastery, but his belief in art as a living, breathing force for cultural dialogue.

 

Armed with a B.F.A. from the University of Massachusetts and an M.F.A. from Syracuse University, he moved seamlessly between roles—artist, educator, curator, community builder—always with an unwavering commitment to the fine arts as a vehicle for truth. Whether developing printmaking facilities for Artists for Humanity in South Boston or revitalizing the historic print spaces at the Boston Public Library as Artist in Residence, Tomolillo has dedicated his life to making sure the craft endures—not as nostalgia, but as a bold, relevant, and transformative practice.

 

His work has graced institutions across continents—Rijks Museum, Harvard Art Museums, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Seoul Museum of Art—standing shoulder to shoulder with the masters, yet always grounded in the everyday moments and tensions of life. His exhibitions, from the politically charged 2016: A State of Mind to Power to the People, Art and Democracy, do more than showcase skill—they ignite conversation and invite introspection.

 

In his stark black-and-white lithographs, recognizable objects become vessels for deeper truths. Each hand-drawn line carries an emotional current—sometimes gentle as a whispered memory, sometimes urgent as a rallying cry. For Tomolillo, drawing is not merely a discipline—it is a way of bearing witness. It is the heartbeat of his creative process, a thread that connects centuries of artistic tradition to the urgency of today’s world.

 

Through five decades, Bob has shown us that the fine arts are not a luxury—they are a necessity. His legacy is more than the prints he’s made or the institutions that hold them. It is the generations of artists he has inspired, the communities he has enriched, and the enduring truth he has etched into the cultural fabric: that art, in its purest form, is an act of courage.

 

In a world often distracted by the fleeting and the superficial, Tomolillo reminds us: art’s true purpose is not to please—it is to awaken. And that awakening is the heartbeat of his life’s work. Tomolillo’s work sparks conversation, demand reflection, and leave us with the lingering question every great artist inspires: What will we choose to see?

 

With all my heart,
Renée L. Rose
Founder/Explore Art 

https://www.exploreartproject.com/founder

Chicago, Illinois

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