York artist with stage 4 cancer holding his own wake, selling his art to benefit his kids

• Tad Eastman, a 60-year-old artist battling stage four prostate cancer, is showcasing his life’s work in a York gallery.
• An “anti-wake” celebration will be held to honor Eastman’s life and art.

When you visit an art gallery, you’d expect for each piece of art each to tell a story, and at 280 W. Market St., you’ll hear that story – and you’re guaranteed to be entertained.

Tad Eastman has lived across the country on different coasts and made a living for a long time selling tie-dye and working odd jobs to make ends meet. But for the York Suburban graduate, York is home.

And in WeCo, inside a gallery run by Ophelia Chambliss at 280 W. Market St., Eastman’s work is displayed and most of them are for sale, from his first painting made in fifth grade up to his most current pieces. Through the month of April and May, Tad Eastman is displaying his work, and the art is as intricate and colorful as Eastman himself.

At 60 years old, Eastman is battling stage four prostate cancer and has been fighting nonstop for the past two years. Now he hopes his art will be the life insurance for his children that he could never afford. 

“Maybe they’ll be able to utilize it through their lives and hopefully make their life easier,” Eastman said.

He said he hasn’t always been the best father to his two children, but he intends to change that. He takes pride in his children and encourages them to pursue and develop their artistic skills and passions. He said his 14-year-old daughter is slowly becoming a talented poet, and his 15-year-old son is a craftsman in the making. 

Each piece tells a story

One of his favorite pieces of art displayed in the front entrance was something he created in 2001, while he was legally blind, and battling two cataracts. The piece, titled “The Great Steel,” looks like something out of a psychedelic dream, and each aspect holds meaning.

Eastman was living near Lake Michigan at the time. Birds used the coast to migrate, and one morning he saw an eagle hovering over the lake. “I thought to myself, what would the eagle say if he could talk?” Eastman pointed to his painting, “this is what he said.”

Drawn by hand, Eastman illustrated a bald American eagle fiercely clutching Uncle Sam, who’s holding a bunch of dollar bills. Just below them is a drawing of the dollar bill and a pile of skulls. Ganesh, a revered Hindu deity known as the remover of obstacles and the bringer of new beginnings, sits at the bottom of the painting, which is bordered with peace signs painted with the flags of different countries.

One of his favorite pieces of art − which took him 300 hours to paint − he sold it for $5,000.

Each piece in his collection tells a unique story. The drawing of a cat that seems simple in nature for Eastman is a reminder of a near-death experience while sailing from Baltimore to Key West with one of his buddies. “I just went for a ride. I did my artwork the whole way,” he said. The cat lived on the boat; his name was Newton.

At one point they were 100 miles up the Atlantic Ocean going through the Cape Fear River, a significant collection of shipwrecks in North Carolina, known as the graveyard of ships.

The waves were growing harsher, and Eastman had trouble steering the boat. “I can’t keep this boat on course to save my life.” Eventually they set off a distress signal which shoots up in the sky. Nine hours later, they were rescued.

An anti-wake to celebrate life

Along with his artwork displayed in the entrance of the gallery, the profits from the work he sells will go towards a fund to benefit his children.

April 27, with the help of his childhood friend Kathy Atkinson, Eastman will celebrate his life and legacy through what they’re calling an anti-wake. Instead of a sad celebration after he’s passed on, he wants to take the positive approach, while he’s still on earth.

“It seems like everyone does a celebration after the person is gone, and I just thought it’s fun to be able to enjoy it with everybody and rather than being sad, I have some fun,” he said.

“We’re all gonna die at some point, but I’m not going anytime soon.”

The anti-wake is open to friends, family and anyone in the public who is interested in meeting Eastman and exploring his art. The event will take place from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., at 280 W. Market St. and features food, live music, and a silent auction will take place, and his art plants on display will be available for sale.

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