Film Screening: Color – Light – Spirit: Studio Sam Feinstein brings to life the vibrant painting, dynamic philosophy, and provocative teaching of a master at Provincetown Art Association and Museum.
In the mid-20th century, Sam Feinstein established himself as an abstract painter, art educator, and critic. By 1960, he rejected the commercial art world and the idea of marketing art. For nearly fifty years after that, he painted steadily, exhibiting publicly only once. Sam shared his passion in small private classes and workshops, inviting painters to see in transformative ways. “We don’t paint flowers,” Sam would say, “we paint flowering.” Sam came to see the creation of art as a necessary, spiritual, human extension of nature’s own creative drive. His study of modern science informed his view of all life as a continually dancing process. This short documentary reveals the essence of Sam’s life-affirming approach to art and creativity, through his paintings and archival audio, video, and film footage. In engaging Zoom interviews, former students reflect on his teaching methods and his impact on their lives. Patricia Stark Feinstein, Sam’s widow and curator of the Samuel L. Feinstein Trust, offers rich biographical insight into Sam’s personal and professional path through life. Friend and film producer Paul Fitzgerald adds a crucial look into Sam’s devotion to art in his 1986 interview with Sam at his final public exhibition. Ultimately Color – Light – Spirit: Studio Sam Feinstein invites us to understand and be inspired by Sam Feinstein’s artistic philosophy through his own voice and the inherited wisdom of his students.
Following the film (39-min) will be a panel discussion with the filmmakers and participants.
Included with Museum admission ($15, free for PAAM members).
