Arts & Entertainment
VIDEO: Tragedy of 9/11 Turns to Healing for Local Artist
Wounded in Vietnam, Tom Miller creates art from painful memories.
It took Vietnam veteran Tom Miller a long time to face the demons of his wartime memories, but with the help of a mentoring professor at , his art serves to remind us all of the pain of human suffering.
Miller's current showing in the college's Admissions building features dozens of pieces inspired by the horrors and heroics of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
A Red Cross volunteer, Miller's paintings and sculptures are composites of photographs and memories of traumatic events in American history, ranging from 9/11 to Gettsyburg. In addition to an ultra-realistic style, Miller often includes everyday shapes — an octagonal coffee table once owned by a neighbor who perished at the World Trade Center; circles and diamonds, and perhaps most powerfully, the triangular folded flags presented to the families of deceased veterans.
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In his FDU studio, Miller talks openly about war, the terrorist attacks and making peace with personal demons through art. He often travels to Walter Reed Hospital as part of the Marine Corps League to present wounded soldiers with art depicting the acts of heroes, be they soldiers, firemen, police or just everyday people stepping up in harm's way.
