About

Sam Blanchard is Chair of Studio Art and an Associate Professor of Sculpture at the School of Visual Arts, Virginia Tech. He holds a B.F.A. in Sculpture from Ohio University and an M.F.A. in Sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design. His artistic practice focuses on sculpture, installation, and video, with an emphasis on kinetic mechanisms and technological wonderment. Blanchard's work involves shifting the scale of iconic forms to create dynamic interactions of supremacy and submission, often using surfaces of the gallery space as means of resistance. His works feature precisely fabricated mechanical surrogates that perform futile gestures, inviting viewers to engage with themes of cultural interpretations of success and failure, humor, and empathy. Blanchard's artistic interests include digital fabrication, physical computing, metalworking, woodworking, and mold making. He has exhibited his work in solo exhibitions at venues such as The Sculpture Center in Cleveland, the Contemporary Art Center in Las Vegas, the Indianapolis Art Center, The Delaware Contemporary, and The New Gallery in Calgary. In addition to his artistic practice, he is involved in teaching courses such as Introduction to Sculpture, Rotating Topics in Sculpture, and Spacial Arts Studio. Blanchard has been responsible for over $300,000 in project funding as a Principal or Co-Principal Investigator and has published and presented at numerous leading art and technology conferences, including ACM SIGGRAPH, ISEA, SECAC, Makerfaire International, and the Smithsonian Museum of American History.

Awards & honors

• Top 50 Greatest Raspberry Pi Projects (SeeMore - 2nd Place)…

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