J. Frank Sampson

J. Frank Sampson was inspired to go into art because his mother Mabel Elizabeth, would make up incredible stories filled with animals and fantasy that captivated Mr. Sampson, and later inspired his artwork.

As an artist and educator, Mr. Sampson considers going to Belgium as a Fulbright Fellow as one of his top career highlights. When he returned from Belgium, he learned the University of Colorado was searching for a visiting artist for one year to take the place of a faculty member on leave. He took up this position and was later asked to join the faculty permanently. He believes serving as a Fulbright from 1959 to 1961 opened up this career-changing position to him. Mr. Sampson first earned a Bachelor of Arts from Concordia College in 1950. He continued at the University of Iowa, receiving an MFA in 1952. He later continued at the institution with postgraduate coursework in the late 1950s. Furthermore, Mr. Sampson served in the US Army from 1954 to 1956.

Mr. Sampson began teaching at the University of Colorado in 1961 upon his success as a Fulbright Fellow. He remained at the institution for the entirety of his career, retiring as a professor emeritus of fine arts in 1990. In addition to his career as an educator, Mr. Sampson has been a well-received artist, and has had his work displayed all over the country. His work has been shown at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, the Arvada Center of the Arts, the Denver Art Museum and the Walker Art Center. Furthermore, he is represented in permanent collections at the Colorado Springs Fine Art Center, the Des Moines Art Center, the Dulin Gallery of Art, the Nelson Gallery-Atkins Museum and many other institutions.