Parallel careers in art, military help Naval War College dean excel in both

NEWPORT, R.I. – It may seem unusual for a retired naval aviator with more than 2,500 flight hours to also hold a bachelor of fine arts degree from the School of Visual Arts in New York. It may also seem odd for an academic research dean to have a blossoming career in fine art.

Unusual for most, yes. But not for Tom Culora. 

Culora, dean of the Center for Naval Warfare Studies at U.S. Naval War College (NWC) in Newport, Rhode Island, spends nights and weekends as an artist and was recently cited by a regional publication as having one of the top 12 exhibits in the southern New England for 2015.

During his day job, Culora heads the country’s leading naval research group including more than 140 faculty, researchers and staff that perform advanced research on the naval contribution to national strategy.

In his other vocation as an artist, he is gaining increasing traction. He received a 50th Anniversary Award from the Bristol Art Museum in 2014. 

To achieve this, Culora works hard – often 20 or more hours a week - in his Warren, Rhode Island studio.

“Part of the reason I came to Rhode Island was to have the opportunity to remain in one place for some time,” he said. “Of course during my time as an active duty naval officer, it was difficult to do that. Now I can.”

Surprisingly, finding time for his art isn’t a problem. Culora is resolute to make the best use of the time for his art. And is disciplined to limit his other interests from distracting him. 

In fact, he says after working a full day at NWC, the evenings in his studio energizes him and allows him to focus on the projects that he is working. 

“When I go to my studio, I can concentrate intensely on my art from a fresh perspective because during the day my mind has been on issues affecting the college.”

Culora is also persistent in finding the right audience and venues for his work, which takes a different path than mainstream commercial art. 

“My work tends to be challenging from a conceptual perspective,” he said. “It involves multiple layers of aesthetics, emotion, irony, conflict and intellect.” 

Culora describes his work as a blending of traditional painting and mixed media with post-modernist approaches and methods. 

“It’s really a post-post modernism sensibility born out of a deep appreciation of art history combined with contemporary events and art practices,” he said.

“The work I produce tends to have a look all its own which is one of the reasons why it may stand out among the work of other artists. There are different layers of complexity which I feel make it interesting as well.”

Culora says he is both surprised and pleased by the exposure his work is getting.

“Probably one of my strengths as a researcher and a leader at the Naval War College is my ability to think creatively,” he said. “Artists are observers, collectors and innovators, and these are things that come when they come. 

“However, you can strengthen and nurture your own intrinsic creativity. I happen to use a journal to capture ideas many times a week to help me think creatively and work through visual problems. Conversely the analytical skills I apply at work directly translate back into my art.”

So is Culora an academic who paints, or an artist who formerly flew helicopters and was a ship captain?

“I’m both,” Culora suggests – it’s hard to split the person.

“I’ve always done art, for as long as I remember. I even have a piece of art framed from when I was two,” he said of his art.