Joyce Sampson 1929-2005

by Robert Sievert

It is with deep sadness that I must announce the death of JOYCE SAMPSON, influential artist and teacher who died on August 26, 2005. She had been ill for several months.

Born in Chicago, Illinois in 1929 Joyce grew up a spirited child interested in biology and science. Her main artistic efforts as a child involved paper dolls. She went to Albion College where she was awarded a Phi Beta Kappa Key. After college she moved to New York and became medical editor. It was not until she began working at Grove Press that she developed an interest in Art.

Entering Cooper Union in the late 1950’s she began a lifelong involvement with painting and sculpture. She studied privately with Nicolas Carone and Charles Cajori and helped found "The 14th Street Drawing Studio".

During the late 1960’s Joyce became involved with "FULL CIRCLE", a community action group that relied on the arts, founded by Monsignor Robert J. Fox. Joyce distinguished herself again and again in this program.

Although her work was elegant and powerful it never met with commercial success. Her work never failed and became stronger and more individual until the end of her life. Her marriage to English architect John Sampson made it possible for her to have some of the most beautiful studio spaces in New York City

A longer more focused accounting of Joyce’s work will appear in later issues of Artezine.com If one goes into the achieves of Artezine there is an article about her drawings. As well in that same issue Joyce wrote an article about studying the Hoffman technique in the classes of Nicolas Carone. Accompanying these articles are beautiful examples of her work.

Links to Joyce Sampson in Artezine: http://www.artezine.com/issues/19991201/jstatm.htm
http://www.artezine.com/issues/19991201/jsdraw.htm