The Ohio Artist Registry (OAR) is an exciting opportunity for artists to share their work, connect with the creative community, and establish an online presence—all on a free, virtual platform! The OAR encourages artists working in all art forms, throughout Ohio and beyond, to create a profile, which allows them to better promote themselves and their work. Being listed in the OAR provides artists with new opportunities to share their work with clients, galleries, patrons, and audiences. A listing in the OAR does not confer an endorsement, approval, or verification by the Ohio Arts Council.
For more information, contact Kathy Signorino, artist programs director, at kathy.signorino@oac.ohio.gov or 614-728-6140.
2024 Ohio Artist Registry Juried Exhibition
Tom Balbo
ArtistCleveland Ohio 44120 United States Home Phone: 2167893799 Website: https://www.balbogalleries.com/
Bio
Tom Balbo has spent most of his life in and around Cleveland, Ohio. Born December 19, 1954, he attended public and private schools in the Cleveland area. In 1977 he graduated from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio with a B.A. in Studio Arts. Tom then went on to receive his Master’s Degree from Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts in Syracuse, New York in 1980 in Studio Arts. Tom was awarded a Syracuse University Fellowship Grant in 1979 and a Ford Foundation Grant in 1980.
Tom’s earliest work was primarily in ceramics and printmaking. As his interest in papermaking grew, his work turned increasingly towards expressing his artistic creativity in this area. Over the past 40 years, Tom’s work has been exhibited and shown in a large number of shows and galleries and he has garnered numerous awards and critical attention for his work.
In 2008, Tom along with other local artists, founded The Morgan Art of Paper Conservatory and Educational Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio. Presently, Tom continues to work in paper, printmaking, and ceramics. Dividing his time between creating in his studio/gallery and as the Artistic Director at the Morgan Conservatory.
Artist Statement
There is a connectedness to the material that comes from planting a tree from a small root cutting,
watching it grow and understanding the patience and time it takes to create a sheet of paper. As Artistic
Director and Founder, of The Morgan Conservatory one of few facilities in the country dedicated to
keeping the intricate and laborious practices of Eastern papermaking alive. As an artist making paper
I’ve made thousands and thousands of different sheets and I’ve come to understand the nature of fiber
through that process, preserving the art form.
