Sam Middleton was an American mixed-media artist from New York City.
18 Facts About Sam Middleton
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Sam Middleton travelled all over the world with the US Merchant Marine, lived in Mexico and Sweden and eventually settled down in the Netherlands, where he "was part of the considerable contingency of expatriate African American artists".
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Sam Middleton's work is part of the Whitney Museum permanent collection, which included him in its 1962 exhibition 40 Artists Under 40 and was included in the 2015 inaugural exhibition for the museum's new building on the High Line.
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Sam Middleton's early painting was heavily influenced by the musicians of the Harlem renaissance, such as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday.
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When Sam Middleton was 17 years old, he left Harlem to work on a boat with the Merchant Marines, to get away from Harlem and have time to paint.
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Sam Middleton struggled as an artist in the United States, due to his race and status, but he continued to refine his technique, studying with other Black creatives such as Beauford Delaney.
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In 1956, Sam Middleton won a scholarship to the Institute Allende in San Miguel Allende, Mexico, and studied in Mexico for several years.
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In 1959, after significantly advancing his technical skills and having the opportunity to showcase his art, Sam Middleton travelled to Europe to paint, living in Spain, Sweden, France and Denmark, before settling in the Netherlands in 1961.
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Thereafter, Sam Middleton returned to Harlem periodically, but never again held residence in America, despite calls from fellow African Americans to return.
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Sam Middleton found greater creative freedom in Holland, while holding on to his jazz influences.
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Sam Middleton moved to the Netherlands as part of a wave of African-American artists, along with Deborah Simon, Sherard Van Dyke and Lorina Harris.
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Sam Middleton remained in Europe to escape racism and lack of opportunity for African Americans in the United States, but was uninvolved with the civil rights movement.
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Sam Middleton did become a figure in the Dutch art community, and opened his doors to other African-American artists who came to the Netherlands, helping them gain traction in Europe.
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Sam Middleton was able to display exhibitions of his artwork in a prominent Dutch art gallery, an opportunity that was limited to very few Black artists in America.
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Sam Middleton lived in Amsterdam for many years but, fascinated by the landscape, settled in Oterleek and Schagen in North Holland in 1973.
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Sam Middleton's style evolved to reflect newfound inspirations, such as the expansive tulip fields of the country.
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Sam Middleton's paintings became fuller and softer, while maintaining their distinct jazz connections.
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Sam Middleton married twice, had three sons, one daughter and eight grandchildren, one great-grandchild.