Samual Weinberg is driven. Through perseverance and dedication, he has become a full-time artist. But, his career path wasn’t always so clear.
Initially, Weinberg attended the University of Wisconsin-Stout because of its baseball program. He began painting to pass the time in his dorm room. As his passion for painting grew, Weinberg’s future became more apparent.
“In my junior year, I transferred to UW-Stout’s School of Art and Design (SOAD) to pursue a bachelor of fine arts degree in the studio art program,” Weinberg said. “It was the instructors, and in particular Dr. Charles Lume, who guided me and were always available to talk about becoming an artist. Dr. Lume is still a mentor.”
After his graduation in 2013, Weinberg didn’t want to stagnate. He moved to an artist loft in St. Paul, Minn. He worked for several years at night to support himself so he could paint during the day. Eventually he created a character who would become a central figure in his artwork. He named the character Pink Man.
“Pink Man was brought to life over several paintings and I developed a backstory based on metaphysical absurd fiction,” Weinberg said. “Pink Man interacts with real people and portrays a diversity of emotions, including levity and fear.”
In his book “The Pink Man Files: Vol. 3,” a sort of historical documentary, Weinberg delves into the world of Pink Man based on fictional articles and encounters of the character from around the world.
In 2016, Weinberg was awarded the Minneapolis College of Art & Design’s Jerome Foundation Fellowship for Emerging Artists. The next year he received a Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant.
His current and upcoming exhibits featuring Pink Man are at the Detour Gallery in Red Bank, N.J., the Project Room at the Thierry Goldberg Gallery in N.Y., and the Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson, Wis.
Weinberg’s advice to aspiring high school art students is don’t listen to the nay-sayers. Whether they are just starting out or they have taken every art class, Weinberg encourages students to do what they want.
“Take yourself seriously,” Weinberg said. “Get to work as soon as possible. Read weird fiction and non-fiction. Read art theory. Find what inspires you.”
For recent graduates, Weinberg’s advice is to not wait and allow life to happen or you could get stuck.
“Even when you feel an incredible doubt,” Weinberg said. “Keep going. Remain driven.”
www.samualweinberg.com
Instagram @ samual_weinberg
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