Sam Albright has a lifelong exploration of the arts from painting and sculpture to writing and playing music to making some of the instruments he plays. He grew up in the Pacific Northwest, where his home was filled with creativity, support, paper and paint, wood and access to tools of all kinds. He would tag along with his mother Juanita, a watercolorist, who would hike to the perfect spot to set up her paints, easel and bucket of creek water, while he played nearby. These outings were often in Mt. Rainier National Park, where Sam’s father Alto Albright was a ranger, and the family lived during the summers.
His grandfather, Pop, lived nearby and worked in his shop, cutting and polishing “rocks” that he would hunt for from all over the western states to bring back to discover what was inside. It took days to cut slabs from these rocks with a constantly running diamond saw, cooling water and grit dripping everywhere. They would go to “Rock Shows” and look through the trays at all the patterns, textures and colors of the different rock specimens. These early observations of natural forces influence his current paintings.
Recent shows and awards:
2017 McGiffin Award from Laughing Horse Arts Foundation for support of the local arts community.
Purchase Award from the City of Ellensburg – GalleryOne Community Art Show – August 2017
Solo Show 2017-2018 – Acrylics and Inks – December through February at Dark Horse Craft Beer in Ellensburg, WA
Solo Show 2017 “Rheology” August through September at Gard Vintners in Ellensburg, WA
Elemental Interface 2006show in Seattle, WA
Painting show with Austin Smith – GalleryOne, Ellensburg
Painting and Sculpture Show with Billy Maguire – Gard Vintners 2011
Painting in The Micro Museum – Brooklyn, NY
Ramona Solberg book, Creative Jewelry Making – ear rings
Albright Mandolins
These beautiful mandolins were made between 2011 and 2014. Sam plays them in his various musical projects. There are still several available for purchase.
Velvetone Records
Stupa at Tara Mandala
Blanchard Street Studios
EZ Mat
Sam’s father, Alto Albright, was a seasonal ranger at Mt. Rainier National Park during the summers and a school teacher during the school year. In 1974 Alto invented a mat cutting machine to cut picture framing mats for his wife Juanita. The EZ Mat Mat Cutter sold throughout the world and became the family business being manufactured in a small factory ran by Sam Albright. Sam and Alto refined the original tools and invented others including the QuiltCut fabric cutting system for quilters. After over 40 years of operation the business is now closed allowing Sam to devote more time to his art and music.