1969: Tom Wilson

TOM WILSON Tehohahake

In my youth, as a avid Hamilton music fan, I often found myself in Hess Village upstairs in the Gown and Gavel rocking to the music of Tom Wilson. Here I find myself, some MANY years later looking out my gallery window at the unmistakeable figure of Tom Wilson looking in at me and gesturing to some art in my window.

Tom and Tom, I guess we are, have a mutual love for both art and music. I am pleased to work with Tom to bring his art to my gallery and to art and music lovers everywhere.

His art that began as therapeutic pastime is now a growing gallery of coveted pieces that continue to increase in value as more and more people discover Tom’s art and the art finds its way into prestigious collections across North America. Tom Beckett

BIOGRAPHY

TOM WILSON is the best selling author of the autobiography Beautiful Scars, which has been made into a documentary (watch below) and in 2024, made its world premiere on the stage as a musical of the same name. Tom is best known as a five-time Juno winning Canadian musician with multiple gold records. In 2023, he was awarded the Order of Canada.

His work as a visual artist began as part of healing journey many years ago, and has found its way into many private and public collections.

Tom has written for and recorded songs with Sarah McLachlan, City and Colour, Jason Isbell, Colin James, Lucinda Williams, Billy Ray Cyrus, Matt Andersen, Mavis Staples and The Rankin Family. His band Junkhouse scored eleven top-ten hits in the 90's , and his iconic, Americana-fuelled Blackie and the Rodeo Kings has performed on stages from The Grand Ol Opry to Massey Hall and was widely publicized for their presence on George Bush’s iPod.

  • Tom’s most recent incarnation, Lee Harvey Osmond, has received extensive praise and airplay throughout the United States and Europe.

    His art has shown in galleries in New York City, Vancouver, Toronto and more recently his paintings hang among esteemed Indigenous works from Norval Morrisseau and Christi Belcourt

    The author lives in Hamilton, Ontario and is currently working on his second book BLOOD MEMORY for Penguin Random House books.

    “I have unchained all the prisoners from my basement and freed the ghosts from my attic.I was the guy who ended up holding the keys to their freedom.It was me who let them out.It’s a job that no one else could do and one that comes with great consequence because these ghosts and prisoners are standing around me now all day, all night long.I told my truth the way I heard it and the way I remembered it and that’s all I have. Everything else is bullshit.” Tom Wilson

    “Wilson’s painting is among esteemed Indigenous works from Maxine Noel, Roy Henry Vickers, Christi Belcourt, Norval Morrisseau, to name a few of the many who are part of the Eagles Rising campaign through Artists Against Racism.”

    Note: Metal work for Tom’s painted sculptures are crafted by artist Mark Pflieger

Gord Downie: raising social consciousness about the tragedy of residential schools

(extract from the 2024 Tragically Hip documentary)

WATCH: BEAUTIFUL SCARS | A TVO ORIGINAL


Tom Wilson - Sold

Will Not be Destroyed | Tom Wilson

Currently on loan to the McMichael Gallery, Kleinburg, Ontario

Tom Wilson