Immediately after the news broke that local painter Chili Thom had died from cancer on Nov. 30, a memorial of burning candles sprung up beneath the Squamish Wind Festival mural he painted downtown.
Thom, who was 40 years old, spent 20 years of his life in the Sea to Sky Corridor before moving to Billings, Mont. where he received specialized medical treatments not available in Canada.
“His artistic influence was profound and perhaps unsurpassed here in Squamish where he had his studio for many years,” said Mayor Patricia Heintzman.
With graphic artist Kristen Dillon, Thom designed Squamish’s 2013 downtown banners. He was actively involved with the Squamish Arts Council and helped initiate the Sea to Sky Arts Council, a coalition that helps promote art in the corridor.
“He captured, in his unique and vibrant and sometimes provocative way, the corridor like no other. He was prolific. He was such a unique and enigmatic artist and human being and just an all around wonderful guy. And he had so much more to express and share. It is such a great loss,” continued Heintzman.
Mural artist Stan Matwychuk was a friend of Thom’s and worked with him on projects including the Wind Festival mural on the old PacWest building.
“We all stand on the backs of giants. Culturally, Chili was a giant. I am thankful to have humbly walked and learned in the shadow he cast. It was his love of the outdoors and the community of people he created around him that will get me through this hard time. I see him everywhere in nature,” he said.
“Even in his passing, I feel as though I still see his light because now I stand on his shoulders. Excited to paint the skies with you when we meet on the other side.”
It was the lost potential of a life cut so short that saddened the Brackendale Art Gallery’s Thor Froslev when he heard the news.
“I really admired his work… You always look forward to growth within an artist,” Froslev said. “He was 40 – at 60 where would he have been at that time? That would have been very interesting.”
In the days since his death many in Squamish have expressed their shock and disbelief that Thom will not be flashing his wide smile or contributing new work to the art world.
“I am completely distraught about it,” said Toby Jaxon, curator of Squamish’s Foyer Gallery.
“The last time I talked to him was just before he moved from Squamish and we stood on the street and talked about art and making it as an artist and he was so optimistic.”
Others also expressed the profound influence Thom had that lives on in his work and in the work of those he inspired.
“His sense of colour and the vitality he imparted in his canvases are a legacy that everyone will treasure,” said local artist Christina Nick, whose public art salmon pieces were recently installed around town.
“He will live on through his creations and in the way he touched people around him. He will be missed.”
Even artists who didn’t know him well personally were impacted by his death. Alice Guss (Tsawaysia Spukwus) referred to him as a “guy who seemed so happy and always smiling. A guy who had passion for art.”
“He was very charismatic, full of energy and seemed very community-minded.”
