EDUCATION
MFA. Film, Video, New Media, Animation
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
BFA. Fine Arts, Electronic & Time-based Media
Carnegie Mellon University
AWARDS & HONORS
Resident, Skopelos Foundation for the Arts, Skopelos, Greece
2025
John Kurtich Scholarship Foundation
2025
Gold Medal Winner, UK Animation & Music Video Festival, Textpop, London, UK
2025
Semi-Finalist, Blow-Up Chicago International Arthouse Film Awards, Textpop, Chicago, IL
2025
Nominee, Best Animation, KinoDrome International Motion Picture & Screenplay Festival, Textpop, Cleveland, OH
2024
Winner, Best Animation, Experimental Dance & Music Film Festival, Toronto, Canada
2024
Winner, Gold Award, $n@¢K/t!m£ series, Connecticut Art Director Club Awards, New Haven, CT
2024
Judge, EMMY Awards, The New York Chapter of The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Ohio Valley Region, Categories: Motion & VFX, Sports Openers
2024
Winner, Best Animation, Experimental Dance & Music Film Festival, Toronto, CA
2024
Women in Art Emerging Artist Prize 2024, Long List, London, UK.
2024
Best in Show, Photography, $n@¢K/t!m£ (i said hi). The Hal Prize
2023
Gold Award, Integrated Branding Program, Stamford Data Science Initiative. Connecticut Art Director Club Awards. Mildale, CT
2022
Best VFX and Colour- International Documentary, Class of 2032. Hollywood NorthFilmAwards. Toronto, Canada
2019
Womenwhodraw.com, Featured Artist. Online database
2018
Official Selection, The Trouble. Frack Festival. Oklahoma City, OK
2017
Directors Choice- Third Prize, Mysterieuse. 27th Annual Black Maria Film & Video Festival. New York, NY
2008
SELECT EXHIBITIONS
The Art of Language Exhibition, The Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut, Danbury, CT
2024
GUI/GOOEY, Plexus Projects, Brooklyn, NY
2024
KinoDrome Film Festival, Cleveland, OH
2024
MvVO AD ART Show, New York, NY
2024
Experimental, Dance & Music Film Festival, Toronto, Canada
2024
ArtX Gallery @ the GenAI Summit, Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco
2024
Moments, HMVC Gallery New York, NY
2024
Data Dreams, Immersive Exhibit. eARTh Space Gallery Hoxton, London, UK
2024
Variations 2024. Marblehead Art Association Gallery. Marblehead, MA
2024
Women in Art. Las Laguna Gallery. Los Angeles, CA
2024
Portraits, Gallery Omnibus, Dresden, Germany
2024
The Hal Prize, The Peninsula School of Art, WI
2023
Color, Gallery Omnibus, Dresden, Germany
2023
Made in the USA, Expressions of Freedom. TAG Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2023
William Benton Museum of Art
2022
Connecticut Art Director Club Awards. Mildale, CT
2022
William Benton Museum of Art
2020
Hollywood North Film Awards, Toronto, Canada
2019
Amazon Prime Streaming, International
2018
Connecticut Film Festival, Bethel Cinemas, Bethel, CT
2018
The Learning Futures Network & Fogarty & EDfutures, Curtin University, Bentley, Australia
2018
Boston Children's Hospital Lobby, Boston, MA
2017
Frack Festival, Oklahoma City, OK
2016
Amazon Prime Streaming, International
2014
Marblehead Festival of the Arts, Marblehead, MA
2013
The Short List, PBS, National Syndication
2008
27th Annual Black Maria Film & Video Festival. New York, NY
2008
Boston Cinema Census, Boston, MA
2008
Annual Boston Underground Film Festival, Boston, MA
2008
Seattle International Film Festival, Seattle, WA
2007
The Gene Siskel Film Center
2007
PRESS
“MvVO ART/AD ART SHOW 2024 Showcases the Art of the World’s Top Creative Minds.” OOH TODAY - Outdoor Advertising & Billboard Industry Insights, 15 Oct. 2024, oohtoday.com/mvvo-art-ad-art-show-2024-showcases-the-art-of-the-worlds-top-creative-minds/. Accessed 22 Oct. 2024.
ArtX Gallery's "/imagine...Digital Soul International Digital Art Exhibit" Shines at GenAI Summit with 19 Global Artists, WRBL News 3 / EIN Presswire. Jun 03, 2024
Announcing the 2023 Hal Prize Winners, Door Country Pulse, December 8, 2023
Third Student-Inspired ‘Welcome to Easton’ Sign Planned, Easton Courier, October 19, 2023
Second Student-Designed ‘Welcome to Easton’ Sign Installed, Easton Courier, August 24, 2023
Facilitating ”Artist Dates” in the Classroom with Samantha Olschan, Fueling Creativity Podcast, February 21, 2023
First of the Student-Designed ‘Welcome To Easton’ Signs Installed at 4 Corners, Easton Courier, December 20, 2022
Let's Get Digital: Benton Exhibition Showcases Digital Media & Design Faculty's Artistry UConn Today, December 5, 2022
New ‘Welcome to Easton’ Signs Unveiled, Easton Courier, July 6, 2022
E18: Women in Animation,Select+CT Podcast, December 22, 2021
The Ballard Institute Presents Puppetry, Game Design, and Digital Performance Puppet Forum, April 22, Broadwayworld.com, April 9, 2021
Creating Art in COVID-19, Daily Campus, 0ctober 20, 2020.
2020 UConn Faculty Exhibition Spotlight: Samantha Olschan , The William Benton Museum of Art, 2020
Danbury director’s film on future of education to premiere in Bethel, Newstimes.com May 26, 2018
Exploring Color Theory, DadsForCreativity.com, 2016
Mellon Grant Puts Digital Publishing at the Front-line, UConn Today, December, 18, 2015
2015 NMC Five Minutes of Fame, New Media Consortium, 2015
WORK CITED IN & BOOK MENTIONS
Worwood, Matthew, J., 2020. From Teacher to Designer: Promotion Teacher Creativity When Using New Technology. John Hopkins University.
Ceglio, Clarissa, 2019. Redesigning Scholarly Communications Workflows and Work Habits for the Digital Age: The Greenhouse Studios Proposal. Journal of Scholarly Publishing. University of Toronto Press Inc. (UTPress).
McCaw, Caroline, 2017 . Here I Am: A Collaborative Exhibition Between Technology And Art History Students Exploring Culture And Identity. AIGA Design Educators Converge Conference, Long Paper Session.
Bortolamedi, Clarisa E. Carubin, 2017. Motion graphics, una disciplina emergente del diseño vista a través del análisis de sus planes de estudio en la educación superior de los Estados Unidos. University of Barcelona.
Villaseñor, Irene, 2008. In the Family by Joanna Rudnick: A Film Discussion Guide. PBS.org.
PRESENTATIONS & PANELS
Olschan S. (2023). “Embracing Empathy & Ambiguity through Making DEIA Media”. FATE Conference 2023- Serious Play, Foundations in Art: Theory & Education.
Olschan, S. (2021). “Puppetry, Game Design, and Digital Performance”. 2021 Spring Puppet Forum Series, The Ballard Institute and Museum. Panel.
Olschan S. (2021). “Building Communities of Practice through Lateral Thinking Exercises & Play in Digital Art & Design Foundations”. FATE Conference 2021- Infrastructure, Foundations in Art: Theory & Education.
Olschan, S. (2020). "Creativity During Quarantine"., The William Benton Museum of Art Panel
Olschan, S. (2020). 2020 “UConn Faculty Exhibition Spotlight: Samantha Olschan with Hannah Lim”
Olschan, S. (2017). "Greenhouse Studios / Scholarly Communications Design at The University of Connecticut". AIGA Converge Conference
Violin, J. Olschan, S. Pejril, D. & (2017) “Animation for "Digital Visualization as a Tool to Bridge Science and Policy: Examining the Long-Term Effects of Phosphorus on the Everglades Ridge Slough Landscape". Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Conference.
Olschan, S. with Worwood, M. (2016). "Class of 2032" Crowdsourcing, Visualization & Documentary Project. Creativity Con.
Olschan S. with Hunter, T. “Puppetry & Digital Performance in Boston Hospitals.” Ballard Institute Puppet Forum.
Olschan, S. with Worwood, M. (2015). "Class of 2032", 2015 NMC Summer Conference.
Samantha Olschan is an award-winning interdisciplinary artist & educator who works across animation, art, and design.
Her practice engages the language of layering, repetition, and fragmentation to explore how meaning is constructed and shared in contemporary culture. Through time-based media, editioned prints, digital collages, and hybrid installations, she addresses themes of resilience, identity, and social critique. Utilizing a blend of fine art and design, she establishes points of tension, exploring the dialogue between image, typography, and culture to communicate complex narratives, challenging conventional views and enriching the discourse on awareness, compassion, and visual communication.
Recent exhibitions and screenings include the P.O.V. Series (PBS), The ShortList (PBS), The Connecticut Art Directors Club, Tag Gallery Los Angeles, Las Laguna Gallery, Gallery Omnibus, Art X Gallery, the GenAI Summit, Hollywood North Film Awards, The William Benton Museum of Art, The Peninsula School of Art, Black Maria Film & Video Festival, New Haven International Film Festival, The Seattle International Film Festival, Boston Cinema Census, Boston Underground Film Festival, FrackFest, Visionfest, Tribeca Cinemas, Bumbershoot, The Gene Siskel Film Center, Marblehead Film Festival, The Skopelos Foundation for the Arts in Greece, and Womenwhodraw.com.