Samantha is drawn to the materials and processes that have historically lived outside of an “Art” context, she strives to make work that can live in and speak to the different worlds of 'high' and 'low.' “I make--slowly--with/through craft. Making slowly is a personal act of resistance against the fast-paced, multi-tasking, product-driven world in which I find myself.” As a multimedia artist, Samantha engages with these processes as a survival mechanism, aesthetic, and a conceptual strategy. Through these modes of making, she is able to explore different social constructs associated with the decorative: gender, class, professional/hobbyist, and the hierarchical categories of taste and morality. Sam received her MFA from The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and her undergraduate degree from Massachusetts College of Art; and is currently a part time lecturer at The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston at Tufts University.
Craft is a philosophy for me which acts as both resistance and a model for change. It is a tool for pushing against current structures of inequitable power. Craft is a place where I practice slowness, process, haptic knowledge, and enjoyable labor. Within craft I am drawn specifically to textile practice because of its complicated, often disturbing yet deeply empowering long history; for its involvement with every aspect of humanity, from our origin stories to the support or subversion of political structures; how it informs our economic systems, technology, personal history, and identity. We have a deep intimacy with cloth, the presence of our bodies living in both its process and product.
My work wrestles with questions surrounding the creation of identity through both external structures (home, community, institution) and internal structures (our psyche, personal trauma, healing), specifically engaging notions of femininity, sexuality, class hierarchy, and accessibility. It considers the ways morality becomes attached to “good” taste. I use a visual language that has been associated with the feminine and relegated to the superficial and low-brow. The work owns an opulence of ornament, a particular aesthetic of glorious beauty in low materials and accessible processes. Crocheted ruffle upon ruffle, beads, sequins, and embroidery elevates what has been traditionally considered a de-evolution of a sophisticated western society. Drawing from historicized images of women in art, mythology, fiction, and our collective imagination I use cloth as portrait, as performance, as text, as container. These spaces are woven together in a complex hermeneutic circle of string and fabric, discordant elements pushing, pulling, bulging, dripping, tightly bound, and completely unraveling; simultaneously true and not true, moving back and forth between a celebration and a rejection, a peeling back of the wound and a healing and restoration.
Education
2002-2005
MFA, The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, sculpture, video, installation
1991-1996
BFA, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Fibers, 3-D
Awards/Grants
2019
Now + There Accelerator Artist
City of Boston's Transformative Public Art program grant
Massachusetts Cultural Council grant, honorable mention sculpture and installation
2017
Artist Resource Trust, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation artist grant
2014
St. Botolph Club Foundation, Amelia Peabody grant recipient for sculpture
2013
Puffin Foundation Grant
Fiber International, Sally Yunis Memorial Award
2012
Traveling Scholars Fellowship, The School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston
2011
Massachusetts Cultural Council grant, sculpture and installation
2010
International Fiber Collaborative grant
2009/10
The Institute of Contemporary Art James and Audrey Foster Prize, nominee
2007
Artist Resource Trust, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation artist grant
2005
Deborah Dluhy SMFA Travel Grant, Paris, France
Residencies
2022
Praxis Fiber Workshop digital weaving lab residency, Cleveland, OH
2017
Arts Industry Program, John Michael Kohler Art Center, Sheboygan, WI
Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
2016
Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Center, Daugavpils, Latvia
2015
Millay Colony for the Arts, Austerlitz, NY
2014
Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Omaha, NE
2011
Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT
Solo exhibitions
2022
“Space between the warps”, LaMontagne Gallery, Boston, MA
2019
“desires not even our own”, Centre St, Boston, MA
2017
Mistress, Miss, Mrs. or MS, Madam? Barrington Center for Art, Wenham, MA
Lineplay: taut/slack, Boston Children’s Museum, Boston, MA
2016
“When things touch,” Essex Art Center, Lawrence, MA
2012
"Ecstasy and Common Sense," Jewett Gallery, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
2011
"Ecstasy and Common Sense," N.K. Gallery, Boston, MA
2007
“Life O Rama,“ Frame 301, Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA
2006
“no place like home,” Babson College, Wellesley, MA
“Life O Rama,” Essex Art Center, Lawrence, MA
Two-person collaborative exhibitions
2022
“What my hands have taught me” Ishibashi Gallery, Middlesex School, Concord, MA
2023
“For the Love of Bad Taste” Wilson Museum, Manchester, VT
Selected Exhibitions
2022
“The Conceptual Stitch” Concord Center for the Visual Arts, Concord, MA
2021
“In Place”, U Gallery, UMass Boston, Boston, MA
“Alchemized Dimensions”, Praise Shadows Gallery, Brookline, MA
“Lockets and Lace”, Jameson & Thompson, Boston, MA
2020
“Soft Shoulder”, Kathryn Schultz Gallery, Cambridge Art Association, Cambridge MA
2018
“Interior Effects, Furniture in Contemporary Art”, Fitchburg Art Museum, Fitchburg, MA
“STITCH, Syntax / Action / Reaction”, New Art Center Newton MA
“ HARD: Subversive Representation”, University Hall Gallery, UMass Boston, Boston, MA
2017
“Is this something”, Lasell College, Newton, MA
KRAFTA Doc International Artmaking Film Festival, Glasgow, Scotland
2016
“Contexture”, Jane Lombard Gallery, NY, NY
“CounterCraft: Voices of the Indie Craft Community”, Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA
“Brink v.2 space and intimacy” , Mills Gallery, Boston MA
“Flow” Nave Gallery, Somerville, MA
2015
“24th Drawing Show: Feelers”, Mills Gallery, Boston MA
"Seven", Montserrat Gallery, Beverly, MA
“Cove”, Boston Harbor Islands, Boston , MA
2014
Gallery 72, Omaha, NE
American Textile History Museum, Lowell, MA
Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum, Myrtle Beach, SC
2013
San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, San Jose, CA
"Game On!", Spoke Gallery, Medicine Wheel Productions, South, Boston MA
"Fiber International", Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Pittsburgh, PA
"Fiber International", Society for Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh, PA
"Interwoven", Arlington Center for the Arts, Arlington, VA
2012
"Glitz", Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Art Center, Dowell, MD
2011
"Home Sweet Home," Montserrat Gallery, Beverly, MA
"Associations," Urban Institute for Contemporary Art, Grand Rapids, MI
2010
"Surrealestate," Mobius, Boston, MA
2009
“Home,” Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro, MA
"Material Afterlife," Urban Institute for Contemporary Art, Grand Rapids, MI
2008
"Sense of Place," Art League, Long Island, NY
2007
"Word of Mouth," Bridge Art Fair, Miami, FL
“The DeCordova Annual Exhibition,” DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Lincoln, MA
"UN Building," Mills Gallery, Boston MA
2006
“Reveal,” New Art Center, Newton, MA
“Crafty,” Bakalar Gallery, Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, MA
“Beauty in Building Materials,” J.P. Art Market, Jamaica Plain, MA
“Art House,” 85 Rockview, Jamaica Plain, MA
“Not Just A House,” G.A.S.P., Brookline, MA
2005
“In the Game,” South Shore Art Center, Cohasset, MA
“Happy House,” Emanuel College, Boston, MA
“Atopia,” Tufts University, Medford, MA
2004
“Closer In,” The Contemporary Artist Center, North Adams, MA
2002
“The Weight of Glory,” Cistetercian Palace Monastery, Lubiaz, Poland
“New Works,” Kingston Gallery, Boston, MA
2001
“Window,” University Lutheran Church Gallery, Cambridge, MA
“Altered Fields,” Johnson’s Paint Gallery, Boston, MA
2000
“Old Self, New Self,” alternative space, Boston, MA
1999
“Red,” Cambridge Art Association, Cambridge, MA
1998
“The Portrait,” The White Elephant Gallery, Boston, MA
1997
“Works on the Body,” Art Vigor, Boston, MA
1996
“Under 25,” Fort Point Arts Community Gallery, Boston, MA
“Artrageous,” Cornerstone Festival, Bushnell, Illinois
Curated shows
2018 “STITCH, Syntax / Action / Reaction," New Art Center Newton, MA
2005 “Not Just A House,” G.A.S.P., Brookline, MA
Public Art Projects/Commissions
2019
“Desires not even our own”, Now and There, Boston, MA
2017
“Birthday Court” with the NCAA, Fidelity Group Boston, Boston, MA
2014
Rebuilt Robert Rohm, piece for Fiber Sculpture: 1960 to the Present, at the ICA, Boston with Mass Art students
“Winded,” The Union for Contemporary Art, Omaha, NE
2013
The Beat Restaurant, Cambridge, MA
2112-2010
"The Circus Project" on going interactive project of making and collecting stories
2007-2010
Beehive Restaurant, Boston, MA
2009
"Home is Where the Art Is," Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
2007-2008
"Weaving Our Stories," The Martha Eliot Health Center, Jamaica Plain, MA.
2006
"Thread Counts: Stitch and Bitch," G.A.S.P. Gallery, Brookline, MA
2003
Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
Press/Catalogs
2021
#57 “Socially distant Studio Visits” Caroline Kipp. Curator of Contemporary Art at the George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum in Washington, D.C., http://carolinekipp.com/
2020
“At Kathryn Schultz Gallery, playful pops of comfort and delight”, Kate McQuaid, Boston Globe, 15 January
catalogue: “Soft Shoulder”, Cathleen Daley
2019
“desires not even our own” by Samantha Fields, interview, https://vimeo.com/394976170
“SEVEN PROJECTS TOTALING $75,000 SELECTED FOR TRANSFORMATIVE PUBLIC ART PROGRAM”, https://www.boston.gov/news/seven-projects-totaling-75000-selected-transformative-public-art-program, 2 August
“Art with a Message, Samantha Fields’ Recycled Clothing Project, Elizabeth Michelman, Artscope, September/October 2019, Visual Arts
“In Jamaica Plain, artists rip into wasteful fast fashion”, Kate McQuaid, Boston Globe, 6 November
“You’ve Got to See This Performative Art Project in Hyde Square Taking on Fast Fashion”, David Ertischek, Jamaica Plain News, 28 October
“Fields Challenge Marketing and Packaging in Exhibit”, Jamaica Plain Gazette, 25 October
2018
“Women, subverting the script, in HARD: Subversive Representation”, Mallory Ruymann, Big Red and Shiny, 7 March
“HARD: Subversive Representation” at UMass Boston”, Joelle Jameson, AEQAI, 19 February
Arts/Industry Resident - Samantha Fields interview, https://vimeo.com/247070542
“Arts/Industry: Samantha Fields’ gender and class ceramic discoveries”, DesignFul. , 7 August
“Meet trailblazer Samantha Fields, Boston Voyager, http://bostonvoyager.com
“Samantha Fields, Keeping us in Stitches”, Elizabeth Michelman, Artscope, March/April
“Stitch at New Art Center, Creating conversation” Brian Goslow, Artscope, March/April
“Snapshots 2017: Capsule Reviews of Shows Gone By”, Josh Fischer, Big Red and Shiney, 9January
“Art to see this Winter”, Greg Cook, Wonderland, 3 January
2017
Interview with The Arts Industry Program, John Michael Kohler Art Center, Sheboygan, WI, https://vimeo.com/247070542
“Now that’s something, Digging for answers at Lasell”, Elizabeth Michelman, Artscope, December
The Year in Photos: Art and Activism in 2017”, Greg Cook, Wonderland, 26 December
“Samantha Fields: Mistress, Miss, Mrs or Ms, Madam? Gallery at Barrington Center for the Arts, Gordon College”, by John Pyper, Delious line, 01 December 2017
“Boston Children’s Museum Opens New Gallery Exhibit Lineplay: Taut/Slack Installation Combines Knitting, Ceramics and Weaving”, by Jo-Anne Baxter, Cision, 19 December
“Weaving Creativity for Kids”, Meredith Goldstein, Boston Globe, 27 December
“The Ticket: What’s Happening in the Arts world, Kate McQuaid, Boston Globe,30 November
“#Resist@Nave Gallery”, Greg Cook, Wonderland, 24 April
2016
cataloge: ”We have a lot to say,Interviews with the artists of BRINK v2: Space and intimacy”, by John Pyper, cataloge: “BRINK v2: Space and intimacy, curated by John Pyper, Mills Galllery Boston MA
Interview with The Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Omaha, NE, https://vimeo.com/203851413
2015
“Two local biennials demonstrate the value of a curator’s eye,” By Cate McQuaid Boston Globe 24 November,
“Seven artists to” create original works at Montserrat College of Art,” By Ken Yuszkus, Salem News, 28 January, “SEVEN: A Performative Drawing Project,” by Pam Campanaro, Cargo Collective, January ,
“Our Guide: Giant Art Festival On Boston Harbor Islands,“ by Greg Cook, Artery, WBUR 9 July, “Playful, interactive art comes to Boston Harbor Islands” by Cate McQuaid, Boston Globe 30 July,
“Island-Hopping for Art in Boston Harbor,” by Robert Moeller, Hyperallergic, 28 July,
“The Isles Arts Initiative,” By James Foritano, Art scope 14 July
2014
“A World Gone Wrong”,” by Greg Cook. Providence Phoenix, 20 August,
“Unraveled” by Anthony Anderson, Café des Artistes 4 October,
2013
"The Art-Lovers’ Crowdfunding Gift Guide", by Robin Cembalest. Artnews, 21 November,
"Q & A With Melissa Messina and Kathryn Wat, Jurors of Interwoven: Art.Craft.Design., Washington Project for the Arts, January blog,
“Pop Filter Hot Pick: Fiberart International 2013”, by Jennifer Baron, Pop City, 17 April,
catalog: "Fiber International" 2013,
"World Threads: Fiberart International 2013 adds to the global art feel," by Mary ThomasPittsburgh Post-Gazette. 28 April,
“Fiberart International at Society for Contemporary Craft," by Jennifer Coyne Qudeen, jennifercoynequdeen.blogspot.com, 23 April
"Fiberart International 2013 presents 9 awards," Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh, Inc. Posted June 20,
"Fiberarts International is a wide-ranging survey of the state of this art," by Nadine Wasserman, Pittsburgh City Paper. “Fiber art exhibit to get West Coast premiere at San Jose's Quilts & Textiles Museum, by Crystal Chow, San Jose Mercury News, 3 November
2012
catalog: Home Sweet Home, by Leonie Bradbury, E.Tornia Thyssen
“Home Sweet Home,” by Evan Smith. Art New England, January
2011
“Exploring all the Edges,” by Cate McQuaid. Boston Globe, 20 July
2009
“Visions of Home,” by Janet Boulay. The Sun Chronicle (Grand Rapids, MI), 9 July
In the Studio with Samantha Fields,” by Matthew Nash. Big Red and Shiny, issue #115
2008
“Getting Site Specific @Bbson College by Matthew Nash. Big Red and Shiny, 10 August
2007
"Caped Creators," by Matthew Reed. Boston Magazine, October issue
"2007 DeCordova Annual Exhibition," by Ann Krinsky. Art New England, August/September issue
“Group shows build on architecture and science,” by Cate McQuaid. Boston Globe, 5 July
“Punch, potato scientists, and 'Sodmonsters'...,” by Ken Johnson. Boston Globe, 18 May
“Local color,” by Greg Cook. Boston Phoenix, 8 May
“The 2007 DeCordova Annual,” by Charles Giuliano. Big Red and Shiny, issue #64
“Arthouse @ 73 Spring Park Ave.,” by Matthew Nash. Big Red and Shiny, issue #61“
Boho in Boston,” by Liza Weisstuch. New York Times, 3 June
2006
"No Place Like Home," by Lashonda Cooks. The Babson Free Press, 2 November
“Crafty @ Mass Art,” by Christian Holland. Big Red and Shiny, issue #46
“From Carved Creatures to Disneyland Rugs,” by Ken Johnson. Boston Globe, 24 September
“Print the Legend,” by Greg Cook. Boston Phoenix, 29 September
“Revealing Art,” The Boston Globe Magazine, 17 September
“Curatorial Creations,” Boston Globe "Sidekick" section, 17 September
“Scratching surface of alternative art,” Boston Globe, 10 September
“Full Disclosure,” by Randi Hopkins. Boston Phoenix, 8 September
“Art House at 85 Rockview St.,” by Matthew Nash. Big Red and Shiny, issue #43
television interview, “It’s All About Art,” BNN-TV 9, 15 May
“Private Idaho,” by Randi Hopkins. Boston Phoenix, 3 May
“Cutting Up,” by Randi Hopkins. Boston Phoenix, 2 March
2005
“Feeling Right at Home,” by Randi Hopkins. Boston Phoenix, 2 December
2004
catalog: Closer In, Contemporary Artist Center
Collections
John Michael Kohler Art Center, Sheboygan, WI
The Progressive Collection, Progressive Insurance, Cleveland, OH
Mark Rothko Art Center, Daugavpils, Latvia
Babson College, Wellesley, MA
Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA: The House my Fore Father's Built