BENJAMIN C. SAMS

January 16, 1945 - June 9, 2002

Education

    University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, BFA 1967, MFA  1970
Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio, 1963-64

Art Experience

Instructor, Ceramic Sculpture, Glaze Composition, Seward Park Art Studio, Seattle,
 Washington, 1973-86

Lectured and demonstration, "Live  Artist Series," King County Arts Commission, 1974

Instructor, Ceramic Sculpture, The Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington, 1974

Instructor, Ceramic Sculpture, Highline Community College, Midway, Washington, 1973

Instructor Eliot Seabeck Conference, Seabeck, Washington, 1973

Co-manager, Cartwheel Gallery, Missoula, Montana, 1971

Originator and Instructor, University Center, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 1979-71

Graduate Assistant, Studio, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 1968-1970

Honors, Prizes, Grants

Guest Speaker,  American Ceramics convention, Washington, D.C., 1972

$1000 Grant, the Rocky Mountain Federation, 1972

Honorable Mention, Northwest Craftsman's Exhibit, Henry Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 1972

Cover artwork, Seattle Opera program, 1971

Prize, Henry Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 1970

Prize, Northwest Ceramics exhibit, Great Falls, Montana,1970

$1000 Grant, Campus Sculpture, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 1970
(see The Art/Early Works )

Commissions

Crucifixion, Ceramic Relief, Newman Center, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana,
1969 (see Featured Art)

Raible Family Portrait, ceramic sculpture, Seattle, Washington

                                                                                           
Publicity

Art & Museum, "Ben Sams, A Nearly Forgotten Genius in Modern Ceramic Sculpture,"
Z. Lambo, pgs. 24-25, Spring, 2019

"Weekend,"  KVOS TV, Bellington, Washington, 1978

"P. M. Northwest”, KOMO TV, Seattle, Washington, 1978

Art Editor's Review, KING TV,  Seattle, Washington, 1977

"Magtime," KCTS TV, Seattle, Washington, Ron Ciro, 1977

The Washington Year: A  Contemporary View, Henry Gallery, University of Washington, 
Seattle, Washington, 1980-81.

Ceramics in the Pacific Northwest: a History, LaMar Harrington, 1979, pgs. 9, 105-6

Artwork featured on the cover of the Seattle Opera program, 1971

Multiple references to articles in Time and Craft Horizons.  See, for example, the first
review in Reviews/Ben Sams


Exhibitions

Art Reach Gallery, Portland, Oregon, solo exhibit, in conjunction with the annual
conference of the International Sculpture Center, Portland, Oregon, October 2019

Portland Art Museum, Portland, Oregon, solo exhibit, 2014

Northwest Crafts, Mentor's Exhibit, Seattle, Washington, 1992

Washington Potters Association, Invitational Exhibit, Seattle, Washington, 1992

Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, Washington, 1983

North Seattle Community College, 1983

Gail Chase Gallery, Bellevue, Washington, 1982

Henry Gallery, University of Washington, 1981

Washington State Governor's Mansion, Invitational Exhibit, Olympia, Washington, 1980

Seattle Art Museum, Professor and Mrs. R. Joseph Monsen Collection Exhibit, Seattle, 
Washington, 1979

And/Or Gallery, Seattle, Washington, 1979

Foster White Gallery, Seattle, Washington, Sculpture 78 Invitational Exhibit, 1978 

Gail Chase Gallery, Bellevue, Washington, 1978

Golden Gallery, Snohomish, Washington, 1978

The Artists' Gallery, Seattle, Washington, 1978

Small Things Gallery, Hollywood Schoolhouse, Woodenville, Washington, 1978

Gail Chase West Gallery, Seattle, Washington, 1977

Gail Chase Gallery, Bellevue, Washington, 1977

Northwest Crafts Center, Seattle, Washington, 1977

The Artists' Gallery, Seattle, Washington, 1977

Fountain Gallery, Portland, Oregon, 1977

Snohomish Opera, Snohomish, Washington, 1976

Fountain Gallery, Portland, Oregon, 1976

Childhood's End Gallery Olympia, Washington, 1975

An/Or Gallery, Seattle, Washington, 1975

Fountain Gallery, Portland, Oregon, 1974

Ing Gallery, Seattle, Washington, 1974

The Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington, May and November, 1974

Polly Friedlander Gallery, Seattle, Washington, 1973-74

Gail Chase Gallery, Bellevue, Washington, 1973

Bellevue Arts and Crafts, Bellevue, Washington, juried exhibition, 1973

Very Nefarious Gallery, Seattle, Washington, 1973

Henry Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, Northwest Craftsman
Exhibition, 1973

San Francisco Museum of Art, San Francisco, California, Professor and Mrs. R. Joseph Monsen Collection, 1973

Reese Paley Gallery, San Francisco, California, 1973

Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, Professor and Mrs. R. Joseph Monsen Collection, 1972

William Sawyer Gallery, San Francisco, California, 1973

Jazz Gallery, Seattle, Washington, 1973

University Unitarian Church, Seattle, Washington, 1973

"Sights and Sounds," two exhibitions, Seattle, Washigton, 1973

Slippery Rock State Teachers College, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, 1973

Richard White Gallery, Seattle, Washington, 1972

Very Nefarious Gallery, Seattle, Washington, 1972

Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado, 1971

Fountain Gallery, Portland, Oregon, 1971

Minneapolis Institute of the Arts, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1971

Charles M. Russell Gallery, Great Falls, Montana, 1970

Museum of Contemporary Crafts, New York, New York, 1970

Richard White Gallery, Seattle, Washington, 1970

Memorial Union Museum, University of California, Davis, California, 1970

Louisiana Arts and Science Center, Baton, Rouge,  Louisiana, 1970

The California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, California, 1969

Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, Washington, 1969

Attica Gallery, Seattle, Washington, 1968

Attica Gallery, Seattle, Washington, April and July, 1967

Northwest International Printmakers, Seattle, Washington, 1966, 1967

Scripps Ceramic Invitational Exhibit, Claremont, California, five sculptures exhibited, 1966

Workshops

Bumbershoot, Seattle, Washington, 1979

National Endowment for the Arts, Seward Park Clay Studio, Seattle, Washington, 1977 and 1978

Medford Area Ceramicists, Medford, Oregon, 1977

Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 1977

Green River Community College, Auburn, Washington, 1976

"Arts for Living," Renton, Washington, 1975

The Evergreen State University, Olympia Washington, 1973 and 1974

Polly Friedlander Gallery, Seattle,Washington 1973

Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, 1972 and 1973

Factory of Visual Arts, Seattle, Washington, 1971 and 1972

Missoula Arts Council, Missoula, Montana, 1972

Slippery Rock State Teachers College, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, 1972

Choteau High School, Choteau, Montana, 1972

Pottery Northwest, Seattle, Washington, 1968