About Tom Clark
Tom Clark has come back to the United States where he was born and raised. He has been painting murals and panel icons for almost four decades from his studio in Greece where he and his wife Sophia met; where he studied; and where they raised their five sons.
After attending Hellenic College, Tom, originally from Chicago, served the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America as a counselor at the Ionian Village where he met Sophia. Tom continued to serve the camp conducting workshops as a Resident Iconographer while Sophia was Operations Manager, serving and working for 30 summers in the Western Peloponese.
Tom has also conducted workshops and lectures including the Crossroads Summer Institute at Hellenic College, the Sacred Monastery of St. Nina in Maryland, and at the Scuola Mosaicisti in Spilimbergo, Italy.
It was during Tom and Sophia’s sojourn to Greece in 1984 that Tom met Master Iconographer Kostas Tsilsavides, under whom he apprenticed for five years, including on-location projects in churches in Northern Greece and Southern Italy. Tom and Sophia travelled extensively visiting Churches, Temples and Museums in beautiful and holy places throughout the Ancient World where culture and art flourished for centuries.
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“For me, the greatest teachers are the icons themselves. I have two obligations. I have to be true to what God wants me to say, following Tradition. At the same time, I have to speak to my time and place in history.”
— Tom Clark, Iconographer
Tom’s work has been exhibited on numerous occasions including a Symposium presented by the Ecumenical Fraternity in Jerusalem, Israel, where he and his family lived for one year in the Monastery of the Holy Cross, where he worked while traveling throughout the Holy Land.
Tom is the featured iconographer on the award-winning website of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The Archdiocese also uses his icons for several of its publications including the Orthodox Pocket Calendar produced by Stewardship Ministries, the Archdiocese Wall Calendar and the Annual Planner produced by Youth Ministry. He has also created work for publications by Holy Cross School of Theology, the Department of Religious Education, the Metropolis of Chicago Aids Task Force, St. Basil’s Academy, The Young Adult League, Conciliar Press Ministries, Ancient Faith, IOCC, Community Cards and Light and Life.
Tom’s body of work can be found in churches and homes both in the U.S. and abroad and includes a panel icon given as a gift by His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos to Pope John Paul II. Tom is honored and grateful that at last count, he is blessed to have work in 10 countries and 30 states.
