Biographical Information An informal introduction regarding my background… I was born in Long Branch, New Jersey in 1961. At the age of 12, my family moved to Brooklyn, New York. I attended an "inner city" public school. I dropped out of high school and was accepted to School of Visual Arts without a high school diploma at 17 years old. New York City was going through a very interesting period during the 1980’s. The East Village scene was in full swing and many luminary personalities were part of the collective environment. The atmosphere at that time was an important influence on my viewpoint. I studied with a number of influential artists, art historians, theoreticians, critics, authors, curators, and gallery dealers at School of Visual Arts. I also felt it was important to get "hands-on" experience so I decided to take a few years off from school. New York City had much to offer in the way of opportunities so I spent many years working as an artist’s assistant (i.e. apprenticeship). I decided to return to School of Visual Arts when I heard they were developing a computer graphics lab. I continued my studies in sculpture, textile design, and computer graphics, which at the time was an emerging field. After leaving school of Visual Arts with more than enough credits for a degree (but not the precise ones), I proceeded to create and develop a number of multi-media events. The events combined artists, musicians, video, film, poetry, and dance. I was recognized for the work I accomplished and received many grants, awards, and honors for the performance presentations I organized. I worked in the field of fashion to make a living, beginning with the technical and creative aspects of textile design. I advanced into the field of trend forecasting after a few years. I specialized in predicting color trends and often traveled to Europe. In 2000, I decided to focus on fine art again after a hiatus of about 10 years. I started curating visual art shows as a way of becoming involved with the art community. I have been honored to present the works of many emerging artists who are my contemporaries. I look forward to the future where I can put my experience, aptitude, and the techniques I have learned to good use. My background is somewhat non-traditional or even iconoclastic. This seems ironic considering that at the time, I thought it was the more traditional route to be an apprentice rather than earn university degrees. I believe it is important to incorporate diverse elements into the, sometimes, elite or over-intellectualized world of art. Samantha Mae Dorfman