“I think of myself as a musical artist,” said Preston Sampson during a lively and insightful artist talk hosted by University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC). “There is a rhythm to my work, a cadence.”
That cadence pulses through the exhibition titled “Preston Sampson: Letters from Home,” on display through Oct. 19 at the UMGC Arts Program Gallery in the College Park Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. Sampson’s works echo the music that filled his childhood home and the steady beat of community life in Pleasant City, a segregated Florida neighborhood in West Palm Beach where Sampson’s artistic journey began.
Sampson, a University of Maryland, College Park alumnus, brings a deeply personal and culturally resonant voice to contemporary art through his mastery of painting, pulp painting, encaustics—also known as hot wax painting—and printmaking. His work is both technically accomplished and emotionally immersive. Each work invites viewers into his narrative of Black experience, family legacy and communal strength.
Treston Sanders, curator of the Arts Program at UMGC, described Sampson as “a significant voice in contemporary art,” noting that his “masterful command of hue and tone resonate with carefully considered chromatic relationships.”
Three standout works discussed during the July 27 artist talk—Origin, Brothers, and Created Equal—encapsulate the exhibition’s emotional core. Origin (1978), an early portrait of Sampson’s grandfather, is steeped in sepia-toned reverence and offers a window into the artist’s family history. Sampson recalled staring at a photo of his grandfather as a child and recognizing the resemblance to his father. This sense of lineage is central to his work, which unfolds where personal memory meets historical reflection.
Brothers (2022) and Created Equal (2022) continue Sampson’s exploration of masculinity and legacy. Brothers depicts two beautiful young Black men—strong, proud and unapologetically centered. The piece is both a celebration and a declaration, challenging viewers to see Black men not through the lens of stereotype but through the dignity of lived experience. Created Equal introduces an intergenerational dialogue, juxtaposing historical figures with children, suggesting that history is not static but a living inheritance.
Family and community are the exhibition’s heartbeat. Sampson’s stories of growing up in Pleasant City—where his mother, regal and elegant, once pointed to an abandoned service station and said, “That’s going to be your gallery one day”—are woven into the fabric of his art. His father, a self-taught pianist and John F. Kennedy admirer, instilled values of respect and curiosity.
“Treat everybody with equal respect,” Sampson recalled his father saying. “And never ask Daddy a question—go to the dictionary.” These lessons manifest in the depth and dignity of his subjects, especially in his series on working men.
“Behind every doctor, lawyer or Indian chief, there’s somebody with dirt under their fingernails,” Sampson said. His 2007 piece The Craftsman honors these unsung heroes, portraying labor not as toil but as pride.
Sampson’s work also pays homage to sports as a metaphor for meritocracy and teamwork. His series on Negro League baseball, featuring Turning Two, is a vibrant collage of history and emotion. These pieces are not just nostalgic—they’re reminders of stories that deserve to be told and retold.
Ultimately, Sampson’s art is a visual symphony of memory, identity and resilience. As Sanders noted, “His artistic intention is deeply rooted in creating an immediate and visceral connection with the viewer.”
Whether through the textured layers of pulp painting or the lyrical flow of his compositions, Sampson invites us to step into fleeting moments of memory and emerge with a deeper understanding of the Black experience, the strength of family and the enduring power of community.