John Burroughs Presents Outstanding Alumnus Award

John Burroughs’ internationally known conceptual artist Thomas Friedman was presented Alumnus of the Year honors by the school Friday.

Friedman, who calls western Massachusetts home, shares this award with illustrious former alumni, including environmentalist Leo Drey (Class of 1934), the late Bill Maritz (Class of 1946), the late Elizabeth Gray Danforth (Class of 1946),  Blueberry Hill's owner Joe Edwards (Class of 1964) and Executive Leasing President Andy Taylor (Class of 1966).

Friedman was honored at a school-wide assembly and spent hours working with advanced art students at school. In the evening, a public reception was held in his honor, unveiling his works in the Bonsack Gallery in the main building.

“I was a little nervous to be receiving this award. Look at all the famous people I get to share this award with,” he said.

Friedman is an American conceptual artist who creates intricate and playful works of art from common household materials, such as Styrofoam, masking tape, toothpicks, bubble gum and spaghetti noodles. His work, obsessively and painstakingly crafted, connects to art of the 1960s.

He is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis. He received a bachelor's degree in graphic illustration in 1988. He earned his master's of fine arts degree in sculpture from the University of Illinois in Chicago in 1990. He presently displays his works at galleries he owns in London, New York City and Tokyo.

However, constant traveling is not his focus. He is married to Dr. Mary Ryan, an Oxford University graduate with a practice in Asian medicine.

The two have a blended family of three children, ages 16, 13 and 9. He plans to stay home as much as possible during their formative teen years. The family home is in Leverett, Massachusetts next door to Amherst, where he does a lot of local art collaboration with the University of Massachusetts.

“I’m enjoying rediscovering (John) Burroughs. I don’t get back here very often. Being a self-employed artist can be quite the challenge. “Many artists really have to struggle to become recognized,” he said.

His work is very popular with Jim Probstein, a classmate who collects his works and curated the show in the Bonsack Gallery along with alum’s William Shearburn (Class of 1979) and current JBS parent John Van Doren.

Burroughs pulled one major surprise on Friedman. Students all wore special commemorative T-shirts showing an iconic Friedman image as a tribute to exceptional works.

Friedman is the son of retired pediatrician Dr. Robert Friedman of Frontenac. Dr. Friedman maintained a medical practice for 50 years before retiring.