Kinderbells

Tom created the KinderBells Musical Flower Garden for his 2013 ArtPrize entry. His piece was situated in the high profile location of the front walkway of the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Children and adults had the opportunity to play the bells during the three week art competition, as Tom assisted visitors by teaching songs as well as demonstrating the piece himself. Because of the stunning visual appeal of the piece, Tom's commitment to childhood music education and the uniqueness of recycling oxygen tanks to create a musical instrument, KinderBells gained significant media attention and proved to be a fan favorite. After public vote, Tom's piece placed within the top 100 of 1,524 entries.

The original Flower Garden that was displayed at 2013's ArtPrize has been purchased through a grant by the Garden Club of Cadillac. The second flower garden was commissioned in 2015 by the Magical Bridge Playground located in Palo Alto, CA, with funds donated for the instrument by Hall of Famer Steve Young’s “ Forever Young Foundation”. Since then Kinderbells have been installed in Traverse City, San Jose, Charlevoix, Grand Rapids, Caledonia, Grand Ledge, and San Diego.