sam_hoolihan@mcad.edu
https://vimeo.com/samhoolihan
https://shoolihan.tumblr.com/
he/him/his

BIO 

Sam Hoolihan is a Minneapolis-based visual artist and educator blending photography, moving image, and performance. Sam is a recent recipient of the Jerome Film, Video, and Digital Production Grant, the Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant, and the MCBA/Jerome Book Arts Mentorship. His films have screened in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Sam recently premiered a Walker Art Center Moving Image Commission for the ‘Expanding the Frame’ Series in collaboration with local film and sound artists. Sam is co-founder of MirrorLab, a collective studio, gallery, film lab, and project space that regularly hosts screenings, performances, workshops, and arts programming in South Minneapolis.

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY & MENTORSHIP

I believe an MFA program is a valuable window of time for experimenting with new ideas, tools, and processes, equally balanced with rigorous research and critique. It is a time for growth by exploring outside your comfort zone, engaging with the local community, and generating unexpected collaborations. Each mentorship is unique, and I strive to guide each artist by responding to their passions and curiosities with encouragement and support. It is always a goal of mine to provide opportunities for a mentee to present their work to the local art community through MirrorLab, Cellular Cinema, and beyond. It has been a great privilege to serve as a mentor in MCAD’s MFA Program over the past few years. I deeply value the conversation and ideation I get to participate in with each artist.