Sam Kirk facts for kids

Samantha "Sam" Kirk (born in 1981 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American artist. She explores her mixed background and identity through different art forms. These include digital art, large murals, and illustrations. Before becoming an artist, she worked in advertising for ten years.

About Sam Kirk

Sam Kirk was born in Chicago in 1981. As she grew up, her family moved to different parts of Chicago. This helped her notice the changing places and different people around her. These experiences, especially in the Pilsen Historic District, later inspired her murals.

In high school, Sam found that art was a great way to express herself. She later included her personal identity in her artwork. She studied Interior Architecture and Marketing Communication in college. After college, Sam worked in advertising for ten years. She decided to leave because she felt it was no longer challenging. In 2010, she got two big art projects. This was her chance to start a career as an artist.

Sam Kirk's Murals

Sam Kirk is well-known for her large and colorful murals. These artworks often share important messages about community and identity.

Logan Square Mural (2017)

Sam Kirk worked with Antongiorgi to create the Logan Square Mural. This mural shows the lively culture that used to be in Logan Square. The artists wanted people to think about the mural and understand different viewpoints.

The mural shows three very large people. They are surrounded by buildings and yellow train tracks. Below them, smaller people are playing, selling ice cream, and protesting. Palm trees and city signs are also part of the scene. This mural was funded to celebrate the history and variety of Logan Square.

Sister Cities (2018)

Sam Kirk was the first woman asked to paint at the CasaMouja street art festival in Casablanca. She painted a very large mural, 28 feet by 50 feet. This mural celebrated 35 years of connection between Chicago and Casablanca. The mural shows two women looking in opposite directions. It highlights the link between the two cities, even though they are far apart.

The Love I Vibrate (2018)

Kirk worked with Andy Bellomo and Sandra Antongiorgi on The Love I Vibrate. This mural honors people who are non-binary and Chicago's LGBTQ community. It is on the side of the Howard Brown Health Clinic in Chicago. The mural has swirls of pink, blue, purple, and gold colors. In the middle is a non-binary person with a shaved head and bright features. The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs helped fund this mural.

A Tribute to Victoria Cruz (2019)

Sam Kirk was one of fifty artists chosen to paint a mural in New York City. This was part of WorldPride 2019. She chose Victoria Cruz as the subject for her mural. She wanted to celebrate transgender women of color and feature a living person.

Pilsen Neighborhood Murals

Sam Kirk has a special connection to the Pilsen, Chicago neighborhood. She has painted murals there that celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. When she was a teenager, she had a difficult experience in Pilsen because of her identity. In 2021, Kirk returned to Pilsen. She created a mural celebrating LGBTQ pride very close to where that event happened years ago.

Do You Think Balloons Cry When You Let Them Go? (2012)

Kirk and her assistant Eva Cancino created this mural. Its goal was to bring attention to young people experiencing homelessness in the neighborhood. The mural shows two skeleton figures. They represent homeless youth in Chicago. They are reaching for balloons that are floating away. In the middle, there are black and white buildings from Chicago.

Searching for Mentors in Memories (2016)

Kirk made this mural for the “Mujeres Poderosas” Exhibit. This exhibit and mural aimed to show strong women in the Latina community. The mural has two figures. On the left is a young girl with colorful skin, showing her mixed background. On the right is a larger figure of Frida Kahlo. She has red hair and skull jewelry. A banner connects them, saying “Searching for Mentors in Memories.” The young girl looks up at Frida Kahlo, who looks back. This shows Kirk's hope that young Latina women can find inspiration from past Latina women.

Weaving Cultures (2016)

Sam Kirk worked with Sandra Antongiorgi on the Weaving Cultures mural. This mural helped the Chicago community understand women who are both racially mixed and queer. The mural shows five women of different backgrounds and ages. One of them is a transgender woman. They are all on a teal background and have calm expressions. You can find this mural in Chicago, Illinois.

Fierce (2021)

This mural was created in June 2021 during Pride celebrations. It celebrates the Queer community in different countries and cultures. This mural is one block from where Kirk had a difficult experience as a young person. The mural is very joyful. It shows queer individuals dancing, talking, and posing. They are surrounded by the bright colors of the Progress Pride flag. These colorful people are next to black and white outlines of traditional Mexican figures. This mix shows the diversity of queerness in Pilsen and around the world.

Pilseneros

In this mural, Kirk shows a colorful scene from the Pilsen neighborhood. You can see a paletero (ice cream man) pushing his cart. Children are riding bikes and playing in the background. The colors in this mural are bright and lively. They show the busy community life of Pilsen. A street sign in the mural confirms it is the Pilsen neighborhood.

Art Exhibitions

Sam Kirk's art has been shown in many places, both alone and with other artists.

Group Exhibitions

• ICONIC Black Panther
  • Dates: November 2, 2018 – January 6, 2019
  • Goal: To recognize important social movements from the past century.

• Peeling off the Grey
  • Dates: May 11, 2018 - February 3, 2019
  • Goal: To explore the changes happening in the Pilsen, Chicago neighborhood. The art shows the strong feelings felt by the community.

Solo Exhibitions

• Double Dutch: An Exhibition by Sam Kirk
  • 2016: This exhibit used drawings, paintings, and interactive art. Kirk showed her appreciation for Chicago and New York. It also showed how Kirk moved between both cities as she discovered her identity and passions.

Art Collections

Sam Kirk's artwork is part of the permanent collection at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago. This means her art is kept there for people to see all the time.

Awards and Recognition

Sam Kirk has received many awards for her art and community work.

• 2023: Leppen Leadership Award
• 2021: Human First Award, Telley Award (Color of Tomorrow), Communicator Award (Color of Tomorrow), LGBT State of Illinois Honoree
• 2020: Davey Silver Award (Color of Tomorrow), Human First Award
• 2018: Chicago Revueltas Award
• 2017: 3Arts Make a Wave Award
• 2014: Curators Choice Award