By Maggie Dubris
Tim Lomas, artist, musician, teacher, photographer and longtime East Village resident, died suddenly at home on Feb. 17.
In many ways, Tim was the quintessential
East Villager, living in his top-floor apartment on Avenue B since the early 1980s. He
had a plot in the 6th and B Garden, played at the Pyramid Club and
8BC with his band
Mercury Mile, and walked his beloved Ginger in Tompkins Square Park.
Tim’s art and
ceramic work graces scores of apartments in the neighborhood, and the dinners he
hosted sparked lifelong friendships, creating a tribe that spans borders and generations.
Tim once said, “The greatest artwork you’ll ever make is the one you make with your
life.” His life was truly a masterpiece. In addition to his songs, painting and ceramic work, and many collaborative creative projects, Tim was a talented teacher, serving
for years as an inspiration to children at the Third Street Music School and the Ideal
School.
In 2005, he traveled to Thailand to help in the tsunami relief effort, and there the
seeds of his foundation,
The Global Children’s Art Programme, were first sown. He went
on to spend nearly every summer bringing the joy of art and creativity to underserved
and traumatized children in Thailand, Greece, Turkey, and Cambodia. He worked with
artists worldwide to create a network of local programs in Africa, India, and throughout
Asia.
Tim’s death sparked an outpouring of both grief and gratitude. Grief for the sudden loss
of this precious spirit, and gratitude for his having touched and changed so many lives.
If you get a chance, walk by the 6th and B Garden, and look for the small plot filled with
sculptures and outlined in twinkling lights. It’s one of Tim’s many contributions to the East Village that he loved.
