Sam Blanchard

Sam Blanchard utilizes digital based fabrication methods to interweave materials with technology platforms to become extended metaphors of human experience in the age of ubiquitous computer interaction.  Projects take a wide variety of forms from hybrid sculptures and installation, to interactive environments and video. He is currently Associate Professor and Chair of the Studio Art Program in the School of Visual Arts at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. He received his Bachelor of Fine Art in 2002 from Ohio University and Master of Fine Art in Sculpture with honors from the Rhode Island School of Design. He has an active international exhibition record, with solo exhibitions at such venues as the Las Vegas Contemporary Art Center, the Delaware Center for Contemporary Art and The New Galley (Calgary, ON). His collaborative work in the fields of computer science and engineering have been presented at South-by-Southwest, World Maker Faire and the ACM SIGGRAPH Conference amongst other high profile venues.

Featured exhibitions
Artist and Location, CICA Museum, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, 2016
South By Southwest Interactive, Austin Convention Center, Austin, TX, 2016
…this used to be easier… (solo), Delaware Center For Contemporary Art, Wilmington, DE, 2015
Salutations of Courtesy (solo), Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, IN, 2014
Older and Overwhelmed (solo), Contemporary Art Center, Las Vegas, NV, 2013
Three States of Discomfort (solo), Olin Art Gallery, Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, PA, 2013
Urbanity Urban, Institute of Contemporary Art, Grand Rapids, MI, 2012

Featured awards
National Scholar Recognition, Virginia Tech Office of the President and Board of Trustees, 2016
Top 50 Greatest Raspberry Pi Projects (2nd Place), Magpi Magazine, 2016
Editor’s Choice Award, SeeMore, World Maker Faire, New York Hall of Science, 2015
Curators Award, 19 holes Exhibition, Urban Institute of Contemporary Art, 2011
S.L.Y. Fellowship Rhode Island School of Design, 2002, 200

Featured grants
(Principal Investigator), “Application specific protective body panels for the ESCHER humanoid robot,” Sponsored by Institute for Creativity Arts and Technology, Virginia Tech, $25,000. (July 1, 2015 – June 30, 2016).
(Co-Principal Investigator), “EAGER: Kinetic Computing Sculpture: A functional parallel cluster of Raspberry Pi computers that inspire computational thinking,” Sponsored by National Science Foundation, Federal,$150,000.00. (October 1, 2013 – September 30, 2014).
(Collaborator), “DARPA Robotics Challenge,” Sponsored by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, $1,500,000 (June 1, 2014 – Aug. 31, 2015).
(Principal Investigator), “A kinetic sculpture and functional parallel cluster of Raspberry Pi computers,” Sponsored by Institute for Creativity, Arts and Technology, Virginia Tech, $25,831.00. (July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2014).

Featured publications
ABC.com. (September 2011). “NewYork Maker Faire Showcases a New Generation of Inventors” by Mark Monroy (Video/Internet)
Las Vegas Weekly. (July 10, 2013). Page 5. “THIS WEEK IN ART: COLLECTORS, SEX TALK AND ROLLERCOASTERS” by Kristen Petersen. (Magazine)
Metro (New York). (September 14, 2015). “World Maker Faire inventor spotlight: Sam Blanchard” by Metro Staff Reporter. (Newspaper)
New York Business Journal. (September 26, 2015). “Maker Faire’s carnival of invention hits World’s Fair grounds” by Michael Del Castillo. (Internet)
New Media 2017 (Korea). (November 1, 2016). “Googled Sculpture Series”. Kim Leejin Editor. Pages 32-36. (Book)
Magpi Magazine. (October 1, 2016). “50 Greatest Raspberry Pi Projects” Russell Barns Editor. Page 39. (Magazine)

More information about Sam and his work are available on his website, www.samblanchard.com/