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sam@samcomen.com

 

EXHIBITIONS

‘Our Pico’ — Solo Exhibition

INSTITUTION: City of Santa Monica Dep’t of Cultural Affairs at the Annenberg Community Beach House
CURATOR: Naomi Okuyama, Public Art Supervisor
DATES: March 30 - October 28, 2024

 

 

‘The Longest Shift’ — Solo Exhibition

INSTITUTION: Museum of Art & History Lancaster (MOAH)
CURATOR: Andi Campognone & Robert Benitez
MEDIA: 13 photographs mounted to dibond with 5 HD monitors displaying 10 motion portraits
DATES: May 14—August 21, 2022

 

 

‘Working America’ — Solo Touring Exhibition

ORIGINATING INSTITUTION: Mid-America Arts Alliance / ExhibitsUSA
CURATOR: Kathy Dowell
DATES: 2022 — Present
TOUR DATES:

  • Converse Library at Douglas, Glenrock, WY: November 10, 2025 – March 16, 2026

  • Chelsea District Library, Chelsea, MI: September 1, 2025 – October 20, 2025

  • Irving Archives and Museum, Irving, TX: January 28, 2025 – May 25, 2025

  • Raupp Memorial Museum, Buffalo Grove, IL: November 10, 2024 – January 7, 2025

  • Kansas City Kansas Public Library, Kansas City, KS: June 16, 2024 – August 11, 2024

  • Chippewa Valley Museum, Eau Claire, WI: April 6, 2024 – May 25, 2024

  • Historical & Cultural Center of Clay County, Moorehead, MN: January 28, 2024 – March 16, 2024

  • Rogers Historical Society, Rogers, AR: November 10, 2023 – January 7, 2024

  • Truman State University, Kirksville, MO: September 1, 2023 – October 20, 2023

  • Chandler Museum, Chandler, AZ: January 28, 2023 – May 25, 2023

  • Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid, OK: September 1, 2022 – October 20, 2022

Installation views from the Chandler Museum; Chandler, AZ; January 28, 2023 – May 25, 2023

 

 

‘Working America’ — Solo public art installation in Grand Park

INSTITUTION: Gloria Molina Grand Park
DATES: July 1—31, 2021
MEDIA: 11 minute video piece incorporating 35 motion portraits and first-person quotes. On five screens sized 8ft X 5ft.
CURATORS: Julia Diamond, director; Marty Preciado, program manager

 

 

Short Film: ‘Working America’ + Grand Park

Directed by Reuben Herzl / Groundmaking
Cinematography by Anai Garcia

 

 

‘The Newest Americans’ — Solo Touring Exhibition

ORIGINATING INSTITUTION: The California Museum, Sacramento, CA
CURATOR:
Amanda Meeker
TOURED BY: Exhibition Envoy
DIRECTOR: Amy Cohen
TOUR DATES:

  • Chandler Museum, Chandler, AZ: September 28, 2025 – January 18, 2026

  • Belvedere Tiburon Library, Tiburon, CA: July 13, 2025 – September 14, 2025

  • Temecula Valley Museum, Temecula, CA: April 28, 2024 – June 23, 2024

  • La Quinta Museum, La Quinta, CA: April 30, 2023 – July 23, 2023

  • Skyline College, San Bruno, CA: February 5, 2023 – April 2, 2023

  • Sutter County Museum, Yuba City, CA: May 1, 2022 – September 4, 2022

  • Museum on Main, Pleasanton, CA: March 7, 2021 – May 2, 2021

  • Southwest Tech, Fennimore, WI: December 20, 2020 – February 21, 2021

  • Kean University Galleries, Union, NJ: October 11, 2020 – December 6, 2020

  • Loveland Museum, Loveland, CO: May 24, 2020 – September 27, 2020

  • Mt. Horeb Area Historical Society, Mt. Horeb, WI: October 27, 2019 – January 5, 2020

  • Patrick Heath Public Library, Boerne, TX: June 9, 2019 – August 4, 2019

  • Spartanburg County Public Libraries, Spartanburg, SC: January 13, 2019 – March 10, 2019

  • Daura Gallery, Lynchburg, VA: September 30, 2018 – December 9, 2018

  • The California Museum, Sacramento, CA: April 3, 2018 – July 8, 2018

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Installation views from The California Museum; Sacramento, CA; April 3, 2018 – July 8, 2018

 

 

‘Golden Hour: California Photography from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’ — Touring group exhibition

INSTITUTION: Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
CURATOR: Eve Schillo
TOUR DATES: Lancaster Museum of Art & History: February 7 - May 9, 2021
Riverside Art Museum: June 5 - September 26, 2021
Vincent Price Art Museum: October 16, 2021 - February 5, 2022
Cal State University Northridge Art Galleries: February 19, 2021 - April 30, 2022

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Museum of Art & History Lancaster, April 2021

Vincent Price Art Museum, Feb 2022

Vincent Price Art Museum, Feb 2022


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‘The Outwin 2019: American Portraiture Today’ — Second prize winner in the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition

INSTITUTION: Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC
DATES: October 2019–August 2020
ACCOLADES:
Second prize winner
CURATORS: Taína Caragol, Dorothy Moss
JURORS: Byron Kim, Harry Gamboa Jr., Lauren Haynes, Jefferson Pinder, Brandon Brame Fortune
TOUR DATES: D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield, MA: October 3, 2020 - April 4, 2021
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University, St. Louis, MO: September 10, 2021 - January 23, 2022

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‘The Newest Americans’ — Solo Exhibition

INSTITUTION: Photoville LA at The Annenberg Space for Photography, Los Angles, CA
CURATOR: United Photo Industries
DATES: April–May 2019

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“The Sweat of Their Face: Portraying American Workers” — Group Exhibition

INSTITUTION: Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC
CURATOR:
Dorothy Moss
DATES: November 2017–September 2018

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‘The Newest Americans’ at the “Big LA Portrait Gallery”

INSTITUTION: Grand Park, The Music Center, Los Angeles, CA
CURATOR:
Maren Levinson
DATES: June 2018

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Portraits of Compassion — Three Artist Exhibition

INSTITUTION: La Plaza De Cultura y Arte, Los Angeles, CA
DATES: March–April 2016
PRESENTED BY:
California Community Foundation
CURATOR: Noé Montez

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‘The Valley/El Valle: Photo-Essays from California's Heartland’ — Group Exhibition

INSTITUTION: The San Francisco Arts Commission 
CURATORS: Ann Jastrab & Meg Shiffler
VENUE: San Francisco City Hall
PRESENTED BY: The San Francisco Arts Commission 
DATES:
June–August 2014

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Kern County At A Distance — Three Artist Exhibition

INSTITUTION: The Bakersfield Museum of Art, Bakersfield, CA
CURATOR:
Vikki Cruz
DATES: May–Aug 2014

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‘En Route’ — Public art commission

INSTITUTION: Los Angeles’ Union Station
CURATOR: Commissioned by Metro Art (LA County MTA public art Dep’t)
DATES: May 2014–December 2015

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‘Central Avenue: A Community Album’

INSTITUTION: Month of Photography LA
ROLE: Artist and facilitator
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: Jason Neville, Lynda Wilson, Vivian Bowers, Azusena Favela, Charyn Harris, Johnny Andrade
DATES: April-May 2012

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‘Central Avenue: A Community Album’

INSTITUTION: Central Avenue Jazz Festival
PRESENTED BY: Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jan Perry
DATE: July 2012

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28 at 28

VENUE: NextSpace LA, Culver City, CA
CURATOR: Jonathan Lane
DATES: October 2011 - February 2012

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