Minneapolis artist and Art 4 Shelter committee member Tom Baker has been donating his artwork to Art 4 Shelter since the inaugural event nine years ago. “The simple idea of selling affordable art that in the end has a great impact on our homeless community is why I am involved,” says Tom.
Event cofounder Megan Rye invited Tom to join the Art 4 Shelter committee to provide photography representation for the event.
Tom is a freelance photographer, specializing in photojournalism. He also loves expressing his artistic talents through landscapes, abstract details, and macro photography.
Tom found his calling for photography while in college. Unsure of what area of study he wanted to pursue, he took a semester off and embarked on sailing journey in the Penobscot Bay off the coast of Maine. “My dad gave me a Nikkormat FTN camera to take pictures with while I was there, and I fell in love with photography. I returned to school and got a degree in photojournalism, and since then my photography has enabled me to have many unique experiences and tell many people’s stories. Some of the photos I had in the first Art 4 Shelter show were from my time in Maine,” recalls Tom.
Tom’s artwork is primarily published online. Most recently, he was involved in a portrait project through which his work was accepted by Made Here, a public art show organized by the Hennepin Theatre Trust. The project featured portraits of former Minnesota Vikings players paired with photos of young athlete models. Ten-foot prints of the athletes were displayed on the side of the Mayo Clinic building from December 2017 – May 2018.
Tom’s photojournalism has been published by Minnesota Public Radio News, Star Tribune, POLITICO, Wall Street Journal, Portland Tribune, Associated Press, and others, along with a variety of small community newspapers in Minnesota, Montana, and Oregon.
To view more of Tom Baker’s artwork, go to www.manitouphotos.com.
Click here to visit our Art 4 Shelter home page.