Thomas McAnulty, a 73-year-old sculptor and Professor Emeritus at Adelphi University, was fatally struck by a motorcycle driver while crossing Amsterdam Avenue in the crosswalk on Thursday evening. The crash took place half a block from the artist's Upper West Side home.
Police responded to the intersection of Amsterdam Avenue and West 96th Street around 5:06 p.m. last Thursday, January 14th. There, they discovered McAnulty in the road with head trauma. The victim was transported to Saint Luke's Hospital, and succumbed to his injuries the next day.
Scene of the crash (David Torres).
According to a preliminary investigation, McAnulty was crossing south on Amsterdam Avenue when he was struck by the driver of a Ducati motorcycle riding east on West 96th. The driver, whose name has not been released, remained on the scene. No charges have been filed and the investigation is ongoing.
A spokesman for the NYPD confirmed that, according to a preliminary investigation, McAnulty was in the crosswalk when he was struck.
McAnulty studied to be a Catholic priest before turning to art full time, according to DNAInfo. He and his wife Mary had been together for 42 years at the time of his death, and raised two children. McAnulty was also a Vietnam veteran, and attended art school on the GI bill. He received his BFA from the Philadelphia College of Art and his MFA from Indiana University, according the biography on his website. Retired from his 20-year teaching post at Adelphi, he spent the last decade leading an annual study-abroad program in Florence, Italy.
The bulk of McAnulty's work was relief sculpture, often depicting simple, everyday objects. He also worked with charcoal on paper, and took commissions for sculptures at Christian churches.
"My work is about the simple act of looking," wrote McAnulty in his artist statement. "I am especially drawn to simple common objects—a peach, a bottle or a table… I present these things stripped of unnecessary elements while retaining their essential and archetypal features."
In the days since his death, family, friends, colleagues and students have taken to Facebook to praise McAnulty's work and character.
"Tom and I shared a studio for the past 10 years or so," wrote artist Erin O'Keefe. "He taught me so much in that time—about life and humility and compassion, and about how to be an artist—to show up and work and look with enthusiasm and openness."
"He was an amazing prof and I feel very fortunate to be able to have him as a instructor for several classes at Adelphi," wrote a former student. "One of my favorite memories of Tom was as a freshman and bumping into him as I made my way to the LIRR to visit the MET. He was on his way to campus to help with portfolio reviews and took the time to pause and chat with me before going on his way."
McAnulty's family is asking anyone who may have any tips pertaining to the crash to email them here.
"We are looking for any leads or tips that would help the police with this case," wrote McAnulty's niece in an e-mail to DNAinfo. "At this time it has not yet been deemed a criminal event, only an accident."
