Tom Aprile

APRILE, YOUNG, MURPHY

Posted By: Tara (email)
Date: 10/8/2010 at 15:31:43

Tom Aprile, sculptor and Professor in the University of Iowa School of Art and Art History, died suddenly at home during the night of September 23rd.

Mr. Aprile was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 28, 1953, to Helen and James Aprile. He received a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art and an MFA from Syracuse University in 1978. Mr. Aprile taught at the University of Oklahoma, the Cleveland Institute of Art, and Oba Femi Awolowa University in Ife, Nigeria. He first came to Iowa in 1982, and spent three years teaching at the University before moving to New York City. In New York, he worked at the Lincoln Center Institute for the Arts in Education Program and it was there that he met the painter, Laura Young, in 1989. They were married on May 20th, 1995.

In 1995, Mr. Aprile and Ms. Young moved back to Iowa City, when Mr. Aprile was again invited to teach at the University of Iowa. He soon became a member of the tenured faculty. Mr. Aprile’s goal was to be able to build on the tradition of excellence at Iowa and, from the time of his arrival, worked hard at restoring the sculpture area to its previous national reputation. Mr. Aprile and Professor Isabel Barbuzza have attracted graduate students to the sculpture area from across the country.

Mr. Aprile will be remembered for his many contributions to the students and the School. He enjoyed the Open Houses and was pleased to give time to the preparations for these. Students could always count on him for assistance outside of the regular class periods. He was a passionate voice and presence for excellence in teaching and the world of sculpture. He loved teaching and was generous in sharing his knowledge of both traditional and contemporary art forms; his Figure Modeling class was always well attended and appreciated as a touchstone to the classical world.

Mr. April and Ms. Young spent many summers teaching at Ghost Ranch in Albiquiu, NM. And it was there in recent years that he developed an avid interest in acting and playwriting. At Dreamwell Theater, in Iowa City, he played Michael Flaherty in Playboy of the Western World, in 2009, and was currently writing a play.

Mr. Aprile had numerous one-person exhibitions in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles and was included in group exhibitions across the country. He was the recipient of two Pollock-Krasner Foundation Fellowships, a New York Foundation Fellowship, and a Fulbright Grant to Nigeria.

In addition to his wife, Laura, Mr. April will be missed by his stepsons Tim and Kevin Murphy, his nieces and nephew Lena and Sam Aprile and Christine and Jamie Aprile, his brothers James and Gary Aprile, as well as his many dear friends, colleagues and students. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Mr. Aprile was a vital presence through his passion, curiosity and humor. His Sicilian heritage was expressed in his cooking and he will be remembered for the memorable meals and parties that he hosted over the course of many years.

Mr Aprile also had a deep interest in collecting Folk Art and African Art and he responded to both sources as inspiration for his own work.