Finally getting my substack up and going and hitting it off heavy when some poetry about my past from 2023. This substack will act as a multi purpose archive for various things, so follow along at bySam.substack.com.
the 🔗 is in my bio!
Updated list of contact information for kay ivey, Tommy tuberville, Kate Britt, and district 1-6 congressional representatives.
For those of you who want to directly call or email your elected officials to see what their responses are or to share concerns about literally any of the stuff we are seeing go on at a federal level, including but not limited to immigration policies, federal overreach, the national abortion ban, dei initiative, grant funding changes, or even the attempt to dismantle the Dept of education (HR899). Hell, you can even call your local mayors and inquire about their stance and demand they speak out too.
It is your right to question your representatives and demand they listen to your concerns as their constituent.
Art After 5: Emily in Paris brought a chic, Parisian-inspired night to the Museum! 🇫🇷 Merci to all who came out!
“Monet to Matisse: French Moderns, 1850–1950” is presented by @pncbank and organized by the @brooklynmuseum .
#BMAEvent #ArtAfter5 #BirminghamMuseumOfArt
Come see me at Loop Fest today or tomorrow! I'll have a selection of bandanas, upcycled clothing, and will be doing live drawings for most of the weekend!
Due to a couple requests, we've extended the application deadline til APRIL 10TH, this Friday at midnight. You have a week extra! Get your applications in for jurors to review your works! :)
Read more here: https://forms.gle/GALsZa1qX9DifGeN7
❗CALL FOR ART: BORDERLESS❗
The ALWCA presents “Borderless” an exhibition highlighting the voices and visions of women-identifying and non-binary Alabama artists where we pose the question: What do you think of as a border and which ones do you notice impact your life and the communities around you?
“Borderless” invites artists to submit artworks that reflect moments of questioning, resistance, and transcendence through embodying when societal or internalized boundaries are confronted, reshaped, or dismantled.
In a world structured by inherited systems that draw arbitrary lines, ones that define identity, value, and belonging, this exhibition invites artists to explore the borders they’ve encountered: those imposed by culture, politics, gender, geography, or the psyche. These boundaries may be physical, emotional, or psychological, and may feel beneficial or supportive while others often serve to confine, control, or diminish.
What happens when we step beyond what is assigned or expected? How do we embody and express freedom, transformation, and agency within or beyond constraint?
You are invited to reflect on the boundaries that have shaped your identity or those of your communities - and to imagine what it looks like with/without them.
JURORS:
Jada Nguyen @j4d4.jpeg
Susanna Vizcarra @pajarito_del_sur
Curator: Sam Roberts @drawnby_sam
DETAILS:
APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 3rd, 2026
NOTIFICATION:The week of May 1st , 2026
DATES: June 3 to August 29,2026
RECEPTION: August 29th, 2026 from 5-7pm
LOCATION: The ALWCA 2nd Floor Gallery South at Lowe Mill
APPLICATION FEE:
There is a $5-10 sliding scale application fee for ALWCA Members and a $25 flat rate application fee for non-member Alabama residents. Applicants can submit 2 works for consideration.
SIZE LIMITATIONS:
Works under 24" on any dimension will be considered.
Aside from community building within and through organizations, galleries, and nonprofits...one of my favorite parts of my jobs and current existence (across my employed and volunteer roles) is getting to help organize and curate collections/ exhibitions which amplify artist's voices, shape narratives, and make space for connection.
This is from the install of the Locations Collection by various @studiobythetracks artists that is up at @gallery_services_birmingham right now.
It highlights the diversity of expression through various mediums, processes, and representations of locations, places, and worlds that the artists at SBTT explore.
🎨 Artist Spotlight Series, Part 1🎨
We interrupt your lunch break to (re)introduce you to a few of the artists participating in the 2026 Loop Music & Art Festival.
Each artist brings a distinct voice, story, and process to their work–from fiber and mixed media to painting, sculpture, and jewelry.
✨ Featured in this spotlight:
• Kerry Leasure (Birmingham, AL) — Jewelry — We are so excited to have her back at the Loop. She is a nationally touring artist who transforms antique objects and vintage ephemera into wearable storytelling pieces using resin, collage, and layered assemblage techniques.
• Alannah Vincent (Atlanta, GA) — Painting — Her work explores African American culture, personal experience, and the strength of women, using layered materials and expressive color to tell deeply personal stories.*
• Sam Roberts (Irondale / Birmingham, AL) — Fiber — Sam is an interdisciplinary artist whose vibrant work explores identity, healing, and connection through upcycled materials, color studies, and experimental mixed media processes.*
• Amy Cooper (Dothan, Alabama) — Concrete — Amy hand-sculpts pieces using small-batch concrete and handmade molds, creating nature-inspired works with rich textures, recycled materials, and organic forms.
• Kelly Nicole Hatfield (Prattville, Alabama) — Mixed media — Kelly’s work blends acrylic painting, fabric, and repurposed materials inspired by folk quilts and everyday subjects, balancing playful simplicity with deeper narrative.*
Together with 50+ visual artists from across the Southeast, these artists will transform downtown Dothan into an outdoor gallery of original work.
📍 Porter Park Amphitheater 📅 April 10–11, 2026 🎟 Free & open to the public
Meet the artists, hear their stories, and discover something you can’t find anywhere else.
Get in the L⭕️⭕️P 🎨✨
*first-time loop artists
Grateful for this magical weather. Add Canary Gallery to your drop in spots as you take in the warmth. Expand your mind with @ebrucephillipsjr works💛📉🔸🟧🟢
