Tom Torluemke is known for his ambitious and evocative socio-political paintings. Drawing is the rarely seen starting point and driving force in Torluemke's practice. It serves as a meditative and relaxing exercise, a testing ground for ideas, and a springboard for the direction the artist takes when pursuing a project. This exhibit features a selection of drawings by the artist stemming from three areas of the artist's practice: plein air landscape drawings of the area near the artist's home, fanciful and personal autobiographical graphite drawings, and studies for the artist's large, imaginative, ambitious socio-political paintings.

Tom Torluemke is an Indiana-based contemporary artist. Born in Chicago, Illinois, his practice spans 40+ years and includes works in painting, drawing, sculpture, and installations in various mediums. Torluemke is known for his powerful, no-holds-barred approach to subject matter relating to socio-political, ethical, and humanistic themes.

With over 150 solo and group exhibitions and 30 public art commissions throughout the Midwest, his work testifies to the relevance and scope of his ideas and his ability to present them in a meaningful context within their communities. In 2025, Torluemke's work on paper was the subject of a career retrospective, Tom Torluemke: Live! On paper, 1987 – 2024 curated by Dan Cameron at the Chicago Cultural Center with a monograph published by SKIRA editore, Milan.