Description
Sam Karres
Born in Wyandotte, Michigan in 1929, Sam Karres earned a B.F.A. and M.A. in art from Wayne University.He worked as an illustrator for Ford Motor Company for 25 years has spent the last 20 years as a full-time artist.”In surveying the paintings of Sam Karres, a passel of other artists leap to mind. There are bold contours reminiscent of Toulouse-Lautrec, the bleakness of Sloan and Bellows, the intensity of Goya, and the anguish of Munch and Grosz.” (excerpt from “Maintaining a Broad Canvas” by George Bulanda, Hour Magazine – Feb. 2002) Karres’ output, which totals thousands of oils and watercolors dating from the 1940’s to the present, include Detroit and Wyandotte street scenes, interiors of bars and coffeehouses, as well as works depicting everything from weightlifters to dancers. An overview of his work has been compiled in the book Sam Karres: Urban Expressionist, by James F. Bloch Sam was a well-respected artist. His dream, even in college, was to paint in the streets. He has documented much of the Detroit and Down River cityscapes for over 50 years. He has been awarded the Scarab Club’s very prestigious Gold Medal two times, in 1977 and 2004. Some of his work is in the archives of the Detroit Institute of Arts and at the University of Michigan Library’s Special Collection Research Center. For many years he exhibited his artwork at his gallery, Karres Gallery, in Royal Oak. Sam has sold his work around the world.
