Tom Kirby

Mr. Kirby moved to Asbury, a retirement community in Solomons, Maryland with his wife, Evelyn, from Bowie, Maryland in 2021. He is retired from the federal government. His formal education at New Mexico State University was in physics, mathematics, and astronomy with a Master’s Degree in Physics. He was active in planetary astronomy research at New Mexico State University for 15 years. He and his family moved to Maryland in 1975 where he worked for the National Security Agency. He began to take art lessons in 1978 to satisfy a long-standing interest in art.

His artistic vision is informed by his science background, a deep curiosity about the universe and all things in it, and his love of the outdoors where nature inspires him with its beauty and infinite variations. He and his wife were volunteers at the Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, MD, and are long-time members of the Friends of Patuxent. Mr. Kirby is a self-taught artist. He was a member and an art student at the Art League, Alexandria, VA. He also took classes at Prince George’s Community College, Largo, MD. His courses have included pencil, charcoal, watercolor, acrylic and oil painting as well as sculpture to include small bronze castings classes at the Montpelier Art Center in Laurel, MD. He attended watercolor, acrylic and oil painting workshops in both studio and plein air settings in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Maine as well as in Provence and Paris, France and in Terni, Umbria, Italy.

He has also conducted workshops for the Guild of Bowie Artists. Mr. Kirby is an active participant with the West River Artists that meets weekly in Galesville, MD to independently paint and critique current work. He is also an exhibiting member of the CalvART Gallery in Prince Frederick, MD; a member of the Calvert Artist Guild (CAG); and a member of the Art Committee at Asbury Solomons, responsible for the tri-annual art shows by the resident artists. Before moving to Solomons, Md., he was a member and president of the Guild of Bowie Artists (GBA), Bowie, MD; a member of the International Artists Support Group (IASG), Washington, D.C.; the Laurel Art Guild (LAG), Laurel, MD; and the Art League in Alexandria, VA. Currently Mr. Kirby exhibits with the West River Artists, CalvArt Gallery, and with the artist residents of Asbury Solomons Retirement Community. Before moving to Solomons, he exhibited in the Annapolis, Washington D.C., and Baltimore region with the Art League, the I.A.S.G., GBA and LAG. He had solo exhibitions in multiple area venues.