Thomas E Shaw-Gardner

About the Artist

Thomas E. Shaw-Gardner is a recipient of the Champion Award from the NJ Cultural Access Network, in partnership with the NJ Theatre Alliance and the NJ State Council on the Arts. Mr. Shaw-Gardner was the Director for the Mercer County Office for the Disabled and Supervisor of a centralized contract unit for the Department of Human Services.  Mr. Shaw-Gardner has served on several Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) State of New Jersey Task Forces for Departments of Labor, Health & Senior Services, Human Services and Personnel.  Before retirement, Mr. Shaw-Gardner directed programs providing services to people with physical disabilities, developmental disabilities, the elderly and children and youth.  He had been a member of the NJ Cultural Access Network, in partnership with the NJ Theatre Alliance and the NJ State Council on the Arts, as well as consultant to the Mercer County Cultural & Heritage Commission for 27 years. He had served as Chairperson, and Treasurer for the NJ Association of County Disability Services, Inc. for 10 years and Chairperson for the NJ Coalition on Disabilities & Addictions 2004-2015. Mr. Shaw-Gardner was a member of Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton and a member of the Adult Choir for 6 years and served as a ruling Elder for 3 years as well as liaison for the Worship & Arts committee. He also served as an advisor regarding accessibility for people with disabilities during renovations to the Nassau Church building. Thomas enjoys gourmet cooking, collects wine and studied the harp.  Serving as the Accessibility Coordinator for the NJ Gay Men’s Chorus was one of his community commitments, and his interests and passion for historic restoration and preservation lead him to be involved in local community issues for one of the historic districts in Trenton.  He is now a member of the First & Central Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir and restored a 1939 field stone home in Wilmington DE, before moving to Elkton, MD, where he currently resides with his husband, William F. Shaw-Gardner. Thomas E. Shaw-Gardner had started with an interest in crewel embroidery in high school during the early 1970’s.  With college and career interrupting this interest, a renewal in embroidery did not occur until the 2000’s.  Continual work in crewel embroidery has been in the forefront of interest with a membership in the Brandywine Chapter, EGA after retiring and moving to the State of Delaware, where I’ve been involved for the past 8 years. A recent move to Elkton, MD necessitated a change in address and focus. Multiple award winner of First, Third and Honorable Mention ribbons for self-designed embroidery art pieces from Woodlawn Museum and Pope-Leigh (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright house), Rehoboth Beach Museum Annual Needle Arts Exhibit/Show and others. Additional Information available upon request