Longville July 4th parade Grand Marshall Tom Kutschied - A life dedicated to art and giving back

   On a snowy Christmas morning in the early 1950’s, there is a “John Gnagy Art Kit,” neatly wrapped under the tree, waiting to be gifted to an eight year old Tom Kutschied from his great Aunt, Eleanor. Little did she know, that John Gnagy Art Kit would light a fire in Tom, a fire that would touch tens of thousands of people.

   Tom was born and raised in the quaint town of Red Wing, Minnesota, and later attended the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Art Education. After becoming an art teacher in Tomah, WI for a year, he joined the Air Force. Through his four years of service, Tom was an English teacher in Vietnam for a year, and later did illustrations in service manuals. 

   Tom returned to teaching in Tomah, but when life changing events occurred, he decided to move to Mesa, Arizona with Lloyd Johnson, a good friend from college. The two decided to open “The Art Crate,” where they hosted art classes.

   Tom taught 2 classes a day, 6 days a week, for 32 years. “I was planning to only be there for a year or two before attending rodeo clown school, but the business skyrocketed, and we couldn’t find a good time to lock the doors.” And skyrocket their business did, with a constant waiting list of around 100. 

   When the time came to lock the doors three decades later, it was an emotional time. “I had two students who attended the first class in 1976, and stayed all 32 years.” Tom remembered; he let one turn off the lights and let the other lock the door. “When the lights turned off, the tears started. When the doors closed, the tears flowed.”

   Shortly after his retirement, Tom moved to Longville to take care of a property he and his brothers inherited from two bachelor uncles. Tom wasted no time getting involved in the local community, and continues to share his time and talents to this day. 

   Although Tom is retired, he estimates that he spends 60-70 hours a week volunteering. He is involved with the VFW, the Longville Turtle Races, the Chamber of Commerce, Longville Area Community Foundation, and others he can squeeze into his busy schedule. Also included in these hours are his paintings he has created throughout the community. Some paintings he donates to auction off, the community garden barn, the Longville turtle race boat, and the painted windows around town. “It doesn’t feel like volunteering to me. You would do this kind of stuff for your family... I have lived in four states, numerous cities, and nothing has ever felt like home the way Longville does.”

   When Tom was in the third grade, he entered in a Halloween window painting contest in Red Wing. He won three times; and since then, he has brought the tradition to Mesa, and more recently to Longville. This started when Dawn Gilsrud, a co-owner of Frosty’s, saw him painting on the Gallery of New Creations window, and asked him to paint a scene on their front window. One painting led to two, and the rest is history. 

   Tom’s favorite medium is oil and his favorite subjects are anything in nature. Birds, lakes, sunsets, and his entries to the DNR stamp contests. His artwork has placed top 10 several times. Last year, one of his paintings won the open class competition in Grand Marais. He also won an open class 90 minute quick paint. Tom’s paintings are for view and sale at the Gallery of New Creations on Main Street in Longville.

   Since retirement, between volunteering hours, Tom has managed to take up snowmobiling, and taught himself leather tooling and taxidermy. “What most people enjoy as hobbies, has been my entire life.” Since the age of 8, he has been sharing his gifts to anyone and everyone he could.

   When asked about what legacy he wanted to leave, he paused, and the room turned somber. “I have always felt like I have been given a gift from God. I have wanted to pay that forward, and give enjoyment to as many as I could.”

   “God gave me this talent... I couldn’t just keep it to myself.”