Tom Chambers was born on a farm in the religiously conservative area of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. After high school he joined the Navy and spent a year on a patrol boat base in Vietnam which profoundly affected his outlook on life. Chambers earned a BFA from the Ringling School of Art and Design. His work has been widely exhibited throughout the United States. He has received numerous awards and honors for his work including a 2000-2001 Fellowship from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and a 2005-2006 Virginia Museum of Fine Arts fellowship.