Meet Tom Megalis

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tom Megalis. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Tom with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
Without a doubt I get my work ethic from my late mother Sophia Megalis. She was a young seamstress in Greece who desperately wanted to leave her village and a life of limited opportunities for a better life in America. Through an arrangement she met my father Nick who was thirty years older. And off to America she went with little money and zero grasp of English.

Once in Ohio she built a life with my father who was nearing retirement age by the time my sister and I were born. My mother took over the role of breadwinner, working at a laundry during the day and taking on seamstress work in the evenings and on weekends. She also had the big idea to rent out all available bedrooms to borders who we called “Roomers.”

My mother was literally a human tornado. She never stopped moving and doing and was always in the game. If she said she was doing something, you could count on her doing it.  My mother Sophia could be incredibly serious one moment then the next moment be the funniest person in the room.

I think about my mother often when I work. She is gone from this Earth but forever in my heart.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Some people call my business an art studio. I call it a creative factory. I make paintings, sculptural work and I work in video and audio.  The underlying theme of most of my work is character and story.

Some of my art integrates found objects with recycled materials. If something can be saved from the landfill and be used to make art, I’m in. Many times the old materials adds texture, unique color and a bit of history to my art.

My mixed media work is collected world wide and I enjoy the commissioned work I have been doing for not only private residences but for corporate clients.

Lately my work has been moving towards more public art and functional art. One of my clients is Choolaah Indian BBQ. They are a rapidly expanding national Indian food restaurant that has a great appreciation for integrating art into their beautifully designed stores. My work can be seen on the walls and now on their tables. It’s exciting to be working with a hospitality brand that values the concept that surrounding your customers with art uplifts the dining experience.

The other exciting project I am working on is a TV program that I am writing and will be hosting. It’s all about finding artists who work on the fringe some toiling away in relative obscurity without much financial gain. They are people who create art out of obsession, disabilities or other circumstances. The program will not only explore the artists’ creations but dig in deep to find out why they create art at all.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I have always believed an artist should explore as many areas as possible before settling in on a singular path for any period of time. As children we all begin making marks or creating art as a form of play. In my humble opinion it should remain a playful experience   forever. The joy of exploring new directions is what will drive an artist and help sustain them during the lean times.

Early in my art making life I painted, did stop motion puppet animation, performed stand up comedy, worked in radio and directed films. Working in all of those disciplines not only stretched me as a creative person but gave me courage to not fears.  All the art disciplines are all the same just in different parts of the sandbox. It’s all play.

I would encourage all young artists to take classes in play writing, sound production, video production, painting, drawing, acting, guitar lessons and video production. Push yourself into areas that are uncomfortable for you; for therein lies the stretch, the growth.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Like most artists I often find myself working in a solitary world, a bubble. This is one reason that I am pushing myself to do the art documentary TV project and more live performance work.  I not only want to meet other artists and talk about but I want to share their stories in hopes of inspiring, entertaining and educating other artists and lovers of art.

I am not new to TV or film production. I have created and produced TV projects for MTV, Comedy Central, HBO and Fox Television where I created a pilot called Tom’s Life based on my Greek family in Ohio. I also did stop motion puppet segments for Nickelodeon (Amanda Show and KABLAM!). The feature film that I co-wrote, directed and starred IN Sonny Days Youngstown Shakedown 2 won best Comedy Feature Film at the New Hope Film Festival.

My new feature film project is called Roomers. It is a true story of growing up in a boarding house that my Greek Immigrant parents Nick and Sophia created to help make ends meet. It will be a combination of live action and stop motion animation. It is a comedic tribute to the Greeks who came to America for a better life.

Making art in the studio can be done with few resources. Making film and video projects is the ultimate collaborative effort. Currently I am looking for partners for the Roomers project. I am confident the right people will be attracted to this funny personal real and artistic film about Greeks in America.

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