3.21.2023
I’ve been working in the same studio for over thirty years.
You know that I run the studio in a precise, specific, and even obsessive way. That’s how we foster the freedom for the creative process to take place. The studio is a space where we share our knowledge, experience, and modes of thinking.
We discuss complex topics, consider all sides of things, push the envelope and challenge ourselves and our audience with what we create. We engage in radical thinking, and are intellectually rigorous in our work. We do it in a safe space that allows for the exploration of provocative topics and themes.
Our work is complicated, exciting, dynamic, and rewarding. But it’s also challenging, and my approach is not for everyone. I am a demanding boss, I have high standards, I push my team to deliver more, and I always expect the absolute best.
That means at times I have been impulsive and even aggressive in my language and my approach. I’ve said things I regret. I haven’t always evolved as quickly as I’d liked. There are times I have not met even my own internal standards and times when I have let you, my team members, down. I am many things — an artist, a welder, and a builder — being a manager is something I’ve tried to learn along the way.
But let me be clear: I have never tried to make anyone feel uncomfortable. I have never harassed anyone. I would never intentionally harm anyone. Safety is a top priority in the studio. Those are the facts.
We as a studio and team have grown. We have made some important strides over the years to professionalize our operation. We have separated roles and responsibilities to clarify job descriptions. We streamlined our functions around specific expertise. Throughout that growth, we’ve tried to expand what we can offer our team. There is a range of compensation within our organization, based on roles, responsibilities, and experience. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, vision, and dental benefits as well as a 401k and pension plan. As we grow, I’m always looking for new ways to offer even more support for our team.
But even with all of this forward progress, the reality is that we have not paused to implement enough best practices to keep pace with our rapid growth — we’re working to fix that. We’ve brought in external help to support us as we formalize our Human Resources policies. This new function will help create best-in-class guidelines. We will ensure our studio values are represented not just in how we talk about our work, but in every aspect of how we DO our work, together. I look forward to each of you meeting this new extension of our team in the coming days.
I am always working to improve myself — as an artist, a team leader and as a human being — and I firmly believe growth is rooted in learning from our mistakes.
The recent representations of me in the media do not portray the totality of my thirty-year long career nor the experience of the majority of team members like you who have passed through the studio’s doors. Despite our detailed responses to reporters, many of these false and misleading allegations have persisted.
One very specific issue I want to address is the reports of the room with the air compressor in it previously being called the “rape room.” When I acquired the studio in the early 1990s, this was a poor reference to a small, dark room in the basement. This was tasteless commentary that I sincerely regret. It was wrong then and it is wrong now. I regret having this associated with our studio; it does not reflect our values. We did away with this name years ago — but not soon enough.
In my life, I failed at almost everything I did until I found my calling in art. I have worked tirelessly since that day to share my vision and ethos with the world. My goal has always been to push the envelope, to teach, to learn, to build community, and share my lifelong devotion to the idea that inside everyone is an artist. I acknowledge the need to go one step further — to ensure that I am leading by example in my behavior, in my studio practices, not just for our own team, but for the larger community. Along the way, there are no doubt bumps, detours and crises. I am ready to take this next step, and I look forward to doing it together, with each and every one of you. I couldn’t do it without you.
I remain devoted to innovation, radical ideas, creation, freedom, and compassion.
Tom
