RandyW Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 Fantasy artist facing the reality of lung cancer LINDSAY ADLER / Press & Sun-Bulletin Tom Cross stands with his artwork titled "Gandalf: A Friend to Remember" at the Black Bear Farm Winery in Chenango Forks. Although Cross never smoked, he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2003 and is holding this art show to raise money for lung cancer research. IF YOU GO Tom Cross * What: The Chronic Survival Tour: Shedding Light on Lung Cancer, an art exhibit * When: Now through July 30 * Where: Black Bear Farm Winery, 15 miles north of Binghamton off Route 12 on Cloverdale Road (County Road 1) * Meet the artist: 7-9 p.m. July 14 and 2-4 p.m. July 15 * Details: Call the winery at 656-9863 or visit www.tomcross-artist.com Related news from the Web Latest headlines by topic: • Cancer • Smoking • Health • Medicine • Lung Cancer Powered by Topix.net By Andrei Guruianu Correspondent Sometimes a bit of an escape into fantasy is a good thing. Using fairies, wizards, elves and mermaids for his subjects, world-renowned artist Tom Cross tries to give people just that through his work. An exhibit and sale of Cross' artwork is currently under way until July 30 at the Black Bear Farm Winery in Chenango Forks. The exhibit is part of his ongoing nationwide exhibit schedule, titled The Chronic Survival Tour: Shedding Light on Lung Cancer. More than just an art show, the tour is Cross' way of drawing attention to the deadliest of all cancers and the disease that he's been battling since his diagnosis in 2003 at the age of 49. "Lung cancer has a terrible stigma attached to it. You did it yourself, you deserve it," he said. "And it's just not true." Although lung cancer is typically associated with smokers (approximately 85 percent of all cases are caused by tobacco use), Cross does not smoke. He hopes through his tour and his art to raise awareness of the disease and raise money to benefit advocacy groups such as the Lung Cancer Online Foundation (www.lung canceronline.org). Despite the title of the tour, Cross said the exhibit is family-friendly and meant to be cheerful and bring a smile to people's faces. "I want to give people hope. I want to say to them that I've made it longer than expected," he said. Cross grew up in Nimmonsburg and graduated from Chenango Valley High School in 1972. He now resides part of the year in Florida and part in a farmhouse outside Whitney Point. His artwork has been exhibited in Japan, Europe and all over the United States. Being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, however, has not stopped Cross from creating art; he's just working on a different schedule now. "I'm still working, still doing stuff," he said. "I've probably just adjusted a little bit." One of the things that has taken up a lot of Cross' time since he found out he has lung cancer is searching for the right doctors willing to treat him and finding the time to undergo all the treatments. After his initial diagnosis, at which the doctor gave him less than one year to live, Cross began researching his options using the Internet and contacted several specialists for additional opinions. "I kind of raised a red flag early on to everyone I knew and said 'help,' " Cross said. Within months of the diagnosis he began chemotherapy and took experimental treatments. Nearly three years later he is still trying anything that seems to have the promise of working. "As an artist, one of the things you hate to do is deal with the everyday mundane. You have to deal with insurance, doctors, appointments," Cross said. "But it's really crystallized what's important and what the priorities are." Cross' cancer treatments also come with hefty price tags, and not all of it is covered by insurance. He is currently undergoing a treatment every three weeks at the cost of $15,000 per session. "It's forced me to be more marketable," he said. But dealing with the effects of the disease also has led Cross to take a different approach to his art. He's taken a camera into the room with him as he's undergone chemotherapy to document what was happening to him. He's also renewed his interest in pre-Raphaelite artwork and capturing light the way nature intended. "It's taken me back to my basic interest in art," Cross said. Mark Stacey, owner of the Black Bear Farm Winery where the show is taking place, went to high school with Cross. They graduated the same year. The art show has a special meaning for him because his father also died from lung cancer in 2003 and, like Cross, his father also was a nonsmoker and health nut who didn't fit the image of the typical lung cancer patient. Stacey remembers Cross in his high school days as a good basketball player, and the two ran track and field together. "He was outgoing and willing to try anything," Stacey said. Those traits Cross showed as a teen have helped him now as he is battling cancer with dogged determination and a willingness to try treatments whose possibility of success seem remote. It also helps to have family and friends around who have not given up on him and don't dwell on the situation. "We try to be supportive and think of something positive for the future," Stacey said. LINDSAY ADLER / Press & Sun-Bulletin Tom Cross stands with his artwork titled "Gandalf: A Friend to Remember" at the Black Bear Farm Winery in Chenango Forks. Although Cross never smoked, he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2003 and is holding this art show to raise money for lung cancer research. IF YOU GO Tom Cross * What: The Chronic Survival Tour: Shedding Light on Lung Cancer, an art exhibit * When: Now through July 30 * Where: Black Bear Farm Winery, 15 miles north of Binghamton off Route 12 on Cloverdale Road (County Road 1) * Meet the artist: 7-9 p.m. July 14 and 2-4 p.m. July 15 * Details: Call the winery at 656-9863 or visit www.tomcross-artist.com Related news from the Web Latest headlines by topic: • Cancer • Smoking • Health • Medicine • Lung Cancer Powered by Topix.net By Andrei Guruianu Correspondent Sometimes a bit of an escape into fantasy is a good thing. Using fairies, wizards, elves and mermaids for his subjects, world-renowned artist Tom Cross tries to give people just that through his work. An exhibit and sale of Cross' artwork is currently under way until July 30 at the Black Bear Farm Winery in Chenango Forks. The exhibit is part of his ongoing nationwide exhibit schedule, titled The Chronic Survival Tour: Shedding Light on Lung Cancer. More than just an art show, the tour is Cross' way of drawing attention to the deadliest of all cancers and the disease that he's been battling since his diagnosis in 2003 at the age of 49. "Lung cancer has a terrible stigma attached to it. You did it yourself, you deserve it," he said. "And it's just not true." Although lung cancer is typically associated with smokers (approximately 85 percent of all cases are caused by tobacco use), Cross does not smoke. He hopes through his tour and his art to raise awareness of the disease and raise money to benefit advocacy groups such as the Lung Cancer Online Foundation (www.lung canceronline.org). Despite the title of the tour, Cross said the exhibit is family-friendly and meant to be cheerful and bring a smile to people's faces. "I want to give people hope. I want to say to them that I've made it longer than expected," he said. Cross grew up in Nimmonsburg and graduated from Chenango Valley High School in 1972. He now resides part of the year in Florida and part in a farmhouse outside Whitney Point. His artwork has been exhibited in Japan, Europe and all over the United States. Being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, however, has not stopped Cross from creating art; he's just working on a different schedule now. "I'm still working, still doing stuff," he said. "I've probably just adjusted a little bit." One of the things that has taken up a lot of Cross' time since he found out he has lung cancer is searching for the right doctors willing to treat him and finding the time to undergo all the treatments. After his initial diagnosis, at which the doctor gave him less than one year to live, Cross began researching his options using the Internet and contacted several specialists for additional opinions. "I kind of raised a red flag early on to everyone I knew and said 'help,' " Cross said. Within months of the diagnosis he began chemotherapy and took experimental treatments. Nearly three years later he is still trying anything that seems to have the promise of working. "As an artist, one of the things you hate to do is deal with the everyday mundane. You have to deal with insurance, doctors, appointments," Cross said. "But it's really crystallized what's important and what the priorities are." Cross' cancer treatments also come with hefty price tags, and not all of it is covered by insurance. He is currently undergoing a treatment every three weeks at the cost of $15,000 per session. "It's forced me to be more marketable," he said. But dealing with the effects of the disease also has led Cross to take a different approach to his art. He's taken a camera into the room with him as he's undergone chemotherapy to document what was happening to him. He's also renewed his interest in pre-Raphaelite artwork and capturing light the way nature intended. "It's taken me back to my basic interest in art," Cross said. Mark Stacey, owner of the Black Bear Farm Winery where the show is taking place, went to high school with Cross. They graduated the same year. The art show has a special meaning for him because his father also died from lung cancer in 2003 and, like Cross, his father also was a nonsmoker and health nut who didn't fit the image of the typical lung cancer patient. Stacey remembers Cross in his high school days as a good basketball player, and the two ran track and field together. "He was outgoing and willing to try anything," Stacey said. Those traits Cross showed as a teen have helped him now as he is battling cancer with dogged determination and a willingness to try treatments whose possibility of success seem remote. It also helps to have family and friends around who have not given up on him and don't dwell on the situation. "We try to be supportive and think of something positive for the future," Stacey said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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