Bio

Samantha Grimwood is an artist, writer, curator, and events organizer. Both her artistic practice and curatorial practice take a holistic approach, focusing on creating visual poetics through collaboration and fostering dialogue within the community through social engagement. She embodies the discipline of creating space for expression and identity through a range of media. 

She has shown work across the county, both in person and online. She has a Bachelor's degree in English with a minor in Education from the University of Maine, a Graduate Certificate in Grant Writing, and a Master's of Fine Arts degree.  She has been awarded a variety of grants and assistantships, including the Cultural Affairs/Distinguished Lecture Series grant and the Intermedia Master of Fine Arts Department grant. She has organized community events such as Downeast Visions: A Film & Dialogue Series with the IMRC Center and Office Hours: A coworking event with the Non-Profit AIGA Maine Chapter. She has been invited to speak at the Imagining Your Research Gallery event about the gallery's installation and the methodology for curating an exhibition at the intersection of art and science. Additionally, she is the community engagement manager for the Bangor First Friday Art Walks. 

Artist Statement

I am an artist and contemporary curator whose creative and curatorial practices are deeply influenced by each other but function independently. Engaging with a variety of media, I am driven by curiosity about materials—their origins, narratives, and relevance in contemporary art. Each exploration begins with the tactile and intellectual urge to understand a medium, leading me to examine its place in current artistic dialogues. My artistic process is fluid, evolving alongside my interests and experiences, inviting viewers to question the context and reality in which each work exists. Through both creation and curation, I aim to foster meaningful conversations between artwork, audience, and space. In this dynamic intersection, I bear witness to the evolving dialogue, seeking to encourage reflection, curiosity, and new perspectives. My dual roles inform one another steadily, shaping a holistic practice grounded in inquiry and engagement.

My graduate education has been centered on expanding my experimental and exploratory artistic practice with a specific interest in dialogue as material. Exploring the form of conversation and collaboration as a medium. I am an experienced Photographer with a specialty in storytelling and in incorporating performance to express meaning through still images. My thesis steps away from this medium to focus on the collaborative nature of conversation between those active in the art community,  specifically in Maine. By examining the literal and metaphorical meanings of material, I have expanded my understanding of different approaches to creative practice. The unique and non-typical ways of making create an entirely different way of experiencing a work of art, things that can only be learned through conversation. These conversations are conducted in an interview-style format and are both audio- and video-recorded. The transcripts are then reviewed for major themes and messages that align with my thesis's overall concept. Then converted into physical material for use in an installation at the Lord Hall Gallery. In addition to the sculpture element, there is also an opportunity to engage in organic conversation in an intentional space, using a book of transcripts as a topic.