Montana
Benjamin Claire Sams was born in 1945 in Gainesville, Texas where his father, Claire, was stationed. The family soon returned to Montana. Claire was Dutch and Native American. He was a member of the Walla Walla Tribe. Sam’s great grandfather, 5th removed, Peo Peo Mox Mox (Yellow Bird) was Head Chief of the Walla Walla Tribe and Great Chief of the Walla Walla Nation. As a boy, Sams often visited the tribal reservation in Umatilla. His mother, Mary, was Polish. Mary and Claire divorced when he was five.
In 1965, after a year at Oberlin College, Sams transferred to the University of Montana where he studied printmaking with Donald Bunce and ceramics with Rudy Autio and informally with Peter Voulkos.
Sams was a prodigious student. He received a substantial grant from the University for a large construction and a commission from the campus Newman Center for a relief figure for the exterior of its building.
Sams had exhibitions in Claremont, California and Seattle by the time he received his BFA degree in 1967. The exhibition in Seattle nearly sold out. By the time he received his MFA degree in 1970, he had exhibited in New York, Louisiana, and again in California and Washington.
Shortly after leaving advanced training at Fort Ord, California in February 1969, I was lucky to arrange a show at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, which is one of the three large museums in San Francisco. The show was held in May,1969 and contained 90 pieces (all under 22" tall). During the month showing I received four invitations from museums for shows because of a museum convention held at the Palace. Two of these were finalized and one show of 50 works is at the Louisiana Arts and Science Center in Baton Rouge until mid-March; and the other, a show of 15 larger pieces.at the Memorial Union Gallery, Davis, California, until March 24th. A third batch of work (30 pieces) was sent to Gimbels Department Store in New York to become part of their Spring 1970 Art Stock. . . . Currently I am working on a show that will go up this Mother's Day at the Richard White Gallery in Seattle. Needless to say I have been busy and hope to take some rest this summer. . . .
(Grant Proposal, 1970)
Shortly after their graduation in 1970, Dana and Sams had exhibits in Seattle, Portland, and Minneapolis.
Selections from 1967-72
In what may be viewed as an artistic rebellion, and to the dismay and displeasure of some of the Art Department’s faculty, Sams and some fellow students produced art with a social message protesting war and satirizing the establishment.
Selections from 1969-71