brooklynONE Productions to Debut TOMMY CAS: A SOLO ART SHOW at Tom Kane Theatre
Tommy Cas to showcase his first gallery exhibition in Brooklyn
brooklynONE productions (bkONE productions) will present Tommy Cas: A Solo Art Show, the first-ever gallery exhibition by Brooklyn-born artist Tommy Cas, opening Friday, February 20 at 7:00 PM at the Tom Kane Theatre in Industry City.
Born and raised in blue-collar Brooklyn, Tommy Cas has lived a life defined by service, sacrifice, and survival. A former combat Marine, highly decorated FDNY firefighter, and now an author, Cas has faced down war, fire, and loss. Yet, by his own admission, sharing his visual art publicly is the most frightening challenge he has ever taken on.
“This show is an act of courage,” says brooklynONE productions. “Not because of the work's quality, which is undeniable, but because of what it represents. This is a man finally giving himself permission to be seen.”
Cas returned from Desert Storm in 1991 with clear artistic promise. He was offered both a scholarship to the School of Visual Arts and an apprenticeship with Abstract Expressionist pioneer Fred Mitchell. Instead, he chose a different path, joining the FDNY and serving in some of New York City's busiest firehouses.
His work, created quietly over decades, bursts with color, humor, nostalgia, and grit. Drawing from Brooklyn street culture, memory, pop iconography, and lived experience, Cas's paintings feel like visual conversations with the city itself. They are playful and raw, celebratory and heavy, often existing in contradiction, much like the life behind them.
Cas is currently completing his memoir, A Fine Gray Dust, which chronicles his struggle with PTSD in the aftermath of 9/11. The art on view serves as a parallel narrative. Where the book uses words, the artwork speaks in images, symbols, and emotion that refuse to be polished or sanitized.
brooklynONE productions is honored to host Cas's first-ever art show, marking a milestone not just for the artist, but for the Brooklyn creative community the company has championed for nearly two decades.
“This is what we exist for,” says bkONE artistic director Anthony Marino. “To give artists a first home. To say your story matters. And to do it right here in Brooklyn.”
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