Meet Samuel Dunson Jr. | Artist and Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Samuel Dunson Jr. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Samuel, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
FREEDOM!!! LOL. I love the freedom to make choices befitting a personal agenda of the moment. Please don’t get me wrong. Working a 9 to 5 job is an honorable way of life. Especially when it allows you to fulfill your life’s dreams. But for me the freedom to see either an internal or external stimuli as a path to follow, fills me up. Over the years I have been in the creative arts, I have used such stimuli as a form of research as well as rehabilitation, and impulse as well as therapy. The Arts have allowed me to ask questions that may never materialize into solid answers. In this regard, I am completely fine. Asking the question is far more important to me, than answers that may follow. I don’t believe there is any other field I would have the freedom to stretch the boundaries of what is acceptable as in the Field of the Creative Arts.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have been connected to Art for as long as I can remember. From grade school on, I have found solace inside my own mind. I am an introvert by nature, but Art has forced me to break from those somewhat insecure bonds to find and follow my dreams. I believe this is the one thing that sets me apart from many other creative people. I have found the freedom to speak. Yes, that is the basis of most art practices, but I am free to deal with my own issues. This sets me apart from others, as no other person has lived the life I live. I am the only person in the world who can tell my story from my point of view. This is a blessing and curse at times as I am brutally honest with myself. At times, my works show me in a less than flattering light. But, this is why being a creative artist so very precious. I benefit from this brutal honesty through becoming a better husband, father, brother, uncle and man. The road travelled by a creative artist is rarely easy, as no one is responsible for the works but you. Though you may get all the praise when it goes well, you also get all the criticism when it doesn’t. You quickly realize as an Artist, you must develop a thick skin. Over the years, I have grown many layers that protect me from taking my practice too personal. I have a collection of disappointments, rejections and failures cataloged in my mind. They are there to keep me humble when the successes arrive. As many say with tongue in cheek, “Relax, It’s just Art”. 

As well as being a Creative Artist, I am also an Associate Professor of Art at Tennessee State University. I believe I must be as honest with myself about my process and products as I would be to the students who come to me for guidance. Though it has taken many years to get to this point, I absolutely love what I do. But, I understand that this is just one part of my life. Knowing this, I try my best to put it into perspective with the many other things that make life worth living. Without those other things, there would be no reason for me to Create.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I don’t call myself a homebody, but I do consider myself a studio body. LOL. If I were given this option for a week, you’d find me working on my paintings, video and sculpture. But……this would bore friends and family to death. So, my week would be about showing them a good time. So here are my must-do’s for Atlanta. 

I am a people watcher. I love seeing people enjoy themselves, by being themselves. This city is so diverse, so the Atlanta Beltline would be the first place I would go to see the diversity in action. I would make sure to take the beltline to my second destination for people watching which is Piedmont Park. Piedmont is the home of many concerts, fairs and events in the city. Most of my family and friends are open to enjoying museums and galleries so the High Museum of Art, the Fernbank Museum and even the Trap Music Museum would be high on my list. Now we gotta eat!!! So I’m heading to Fox brothers, Slutty Vegan, No Mas Hacienda and Cantina, or Slim and Husky’s. For family fun we must head to Centennial Olympic Park to Visit the Georgia Aquarium, The National Center for Civil and Human Rights and the World of Coke.. For Nightlife and music I’d have to take my social friends and family to Compound or Nouveau Bar and Grill. And, Since I am a thrill seeker, then we’d have to hit Six Flags, Ifly Atlanta, and Skyview Atlanta or even Escape The Room Atlanta.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This shoutout MUST be dedicated to my family as a whole. Since Art is still seen as a hobby by many, it is difficult to convince some people that Art is a viable option as one’s life goal. My family; the one I was born into, the one I have created with my wife and children, and the one I married into, serve as beacons of strength and nurturing for me. This is the first source I draw energy from to move outward and into the world. 

Website: samueldunson.com

Instagram: @dunsonart

Twitter: @artist_prof

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sldunson/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMzGOy3OvSxdN3xCa2R9wkQ