ARTIST BIO

Sam Kirk is an award winning, U.S. based multidisciplinary artist who explores culture and identity politics. Her artwork focuses on a variety of intersections which encompass a call to celebrate differences and enact change. Vivid and powerful images of women, members of the LGBTQIA community, and those who have historically been excluded are celebrated in narratives that share the journeys that have made them who they are. 

Throughout her childhood, her family’s frequent moves to a variety of Chicago neighborhoods sparked her fascination with the nuances of the human experience. It was during these moments where she found herself discovering the cultures of the city and sorting through her own identity as a bi-racial, queer woman. Kirk’s artwork, much like her life has been an on-going discovery about how life’s experiences impact our identity. Her vibrant color palette, intricate line-work and layered backgrounds highlight cultural communities via multi-toned figures recalled from interactions with people around the world.

Kirk’s public murals often address social issues, as she intentionally uses the public space to spark dialogue around topics of equality and visibility. She is the first woman and American to participate in the Annual CASAMOUJA Street Art Festival in Casablanca, Morocco.  A commission by World Business Chicago and the City of Casablanca, Kirk created the “Sister Cities” mural as a celebration of 35 years of programming between Chicago and Casablanca. In 2022, she collaborated with her wife to create a 60ft mural that celebrates marriage equality and the Afro-Caribbean cultures of Costa Rica in Alejuela, Costa Rica.

Kirk’s has been recognized for her work through several awards, both community based organizations and industry institutions : 2023 Leppen Leadership Award, About Face Theater, 2021 Telly Award, Communicator Award, LGBTQ State of Illinois Honoree, 2020 Davey Award, Human First Award, 2018 Chicago Revueltas Award, 2017 3Arts Make a Wave Award, 2014 Curators Choice Scope International Art Fair Art Basel Miami

Kirk has exhibited extensively at venues including museums and galleries across the US. Her public artwork has been commissioned nationally and internationally to recognize cultural achievements, acknowledgements of progress, and to share the stories of our communities. 

Her work has been featured in top publications such as O Magazine, Forbes, and Travel and Leisure Magazine. Her collaborations include global brands and US based non-profit organizations such as Disney, Harper Collins, Xfinity/Comcast, World Business Chicago, National Domestic Workers Alliance, and WBEZ. 

Recent Acknowledgements

In 2023, Kirk was a recipient of the Leppen Leadership Award by About Face Theater. This annual award recognizes the contributions of individuals, businesses and other organizations to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community in Chicago. Additionally, her tribute to Marge Summit was added to the permanent collection of the Gerber Hart Library and Archives.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Utilizing art as a communication tool, my work uncovers years of qualitative research which is meant to leave the viewer with a question, or unspoken request to walk through the world better than the day before. 

Twenty seven years ago, art made its way into my life as a source of reflection. A visual journal created to explore my identity, as a young woman, my work began examining society and all of it’s behaviors. Growing up on the city’s Southside, the navigation of myself: bi-racial, queer identity, woman - laid the foundation for the work I create today: a continuous study of the impact we have on each other, how our environments shape us, and how the layers of our lives play a role in our contribution to the world. 

The process of my practice has been very exploratory and organic. Engagements with community allow me to learn directly from my audience, and informs if the work I am creating is effective, often directing my next steps. My selection of medium, surface, or location is usually determined by the subject and my message to the viewer. Locations for murals are strategically considered based on neighborhood history, current events, and the conversation that I am trying to have with its residents. Materials for fine artworks are often part of the message. 

In 2018, I introduced stained glass into my practice as a way of discussing the role religion plays in rejection, specifically in the LGBTQ community. Beautiful portraits of queer individuals in a material that often adorns churches and religious institutions is my way of beautifully disrupting this on-going issue. The goal is two sided: Celebrate my community and spark a conversation around the role religion plays in govenment, which results in many of the laws we have today against the LGBTQ Community.

This year, I created “Healing House”, a space for the community to reflect, grow, and thrive. It’s my first 3D interactive public art piece, and combines knowledge from the past decade of practice. In over 65+ public artworks, I have learned that many of our people are struggling for a number of reasons. I wanted to create something that they could interact with. A stained glass like effect, allows custom printed acrylic sheets to provide a color wash over the body. A live wall, complete with plants often used in healing ceremonies (lavender, sage, eucalyptus, etc.) ignites the senses and brings a calm to the mind and soul. A moment of silence surrounded by natural and creative elements. 

I am currently exploring my next steps, which also include the joys of my first year of parenthood.