When Sam Woolcott, one of my Art Biz Inner Circle members, told me that she and her husband were invited to have a joint museum exhibition, I knew I had to interview them.
They live together and have been happily married for more than 20 years.
For ten of those years, they have jointly owned a gallery based in the arts community of Bisbee, Arizona.
Each has a thriving studio practice.
Now they’re showing together in a 2-person exhibition at The University of Arizona Museum of Art.
How do they balance their separate work and artist lives together?
In this podcast episode, I introduce you to Sam, the painter, and Poe Dismuke, her husband and sculptor. We discuss:
- What their daily routines and work styles look like
- What their art has in common
- Life in Bisbee (sounds like it’s a must-see)
- How the museum show came about
LISTEN NOW …
Music: Carry Your Heart by Wildermiss. Used with permission.
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39 thoughts on “The Art Biz ep. 8: A Married Life in Art: Sam Woolcott and Poe Dismuke”
Oh, I love that Sam displays work with thumbtacks! I dream about hanging my artwork without having to frame it first. Unfortunately, it’s pastel, so not possible. Yet.
Thanks Marie!
I often work with pastel and charcoal on paper.
A combination of fixative and gel medium can create an impervious surface.
Everything is possible!
It is so beautiful to see how a couple live together and working together.stil stay loving in their particular art.
Congratulation of your married in art.
Hope to hearing from your live .
Thank Hilaire.
Not saying it is always easy 🙂 , but doing what it takes, together, gets us through the lows and HiGHs!
Cheers, Sam
Wonderful podcast – really interesting. I’d love to have known if Sam and Poe are supporting themselves 100% with their gallery and their own artwork, or if they have to make ends meet other ways – especially since they live in a small town with limited foot traffic to their gallery (and I would imagine limited collectors).
Thanks Lorrie and Pamela for the nuts and bolts question…a longish answer…
Yep, so far so good.
What I didn’t speak to, and is perhaps what I am most grateful for, is our community of Bisbee.
From our very first pop up here in a vacant lobby of our small theatre over 15 years ago, we have been welcomed, embraced and supported by these fine folks. Very small purchases have led to larger, lay aways, commissions, hospital, historic mining museum, city hall purchases.
We have hosted fundraisers for the library, estate exhibitions for beloved artists passed, a group show, Pie in the Sky, to benefit the rebuilding of our friend’s restaurant that burned.
Truly, our local community is our lifeblood and our greatest reward is being able to have this life. As the song goes, Love the one you are with!
Sam and Poe, Being so far from a major city doesn’t seem to be a drawback but, like Lorrie, I wondered about whether collectors were limited. I really enjoyed this glimpse into your lives. Good luck at the opening and with the show.
Thanks Alyson!
Glad you enjoyed, Pamela.
That was a really delightful podcast (I listened to it twice)! What a great couple…both artistically and personally…their story was very interesting and insightful!! Hope they are having amazing success with their museum exhibition!!
Kathyrn, thank you.
Please come visit Bisbee and come say Hola!
Cool! So happy to hear this, Kathryn.
Love your art and sculptures…also using thumb tacks to hang. PC
Thanks Pauline!
Our motto is “whatever works”. And sometimes it is as simple as thumbtacks!
Thanks for this really interesting podcast, Alyson. These Sam and Poe sound fun, likeable, genuine. I’m so happy for them! Also, thank you for the introduction to Wildermiss :). I couldn’t help myself from hunting down your music clip and then listen to all they’ve got on YouTube. I love their sound.
Thanks Joan!
Thanks Joan! I am with you. We had fun chatting with Alyson and when we heard the music this morning we both burst out laughing.
Let’s all be Wilder Misses!
🙂
Joan: Wildermiss is a local band. One of their members, Caleb, helps me with each podcast. Keep your eye on them – they’re going places!
Yes, I could see they were local and love that you support them. Caleb is their drummer? Nice work! Cool that he works for you as well (that day job — I can relate). They sound great.
My Sister! I am so proud of you Sam Woolcott!! Great podcast. I’m glad people get to hear what I’ve already known about Sam Woolcott and Poe Dismuke.
What kind of sister flys from Denver to Tucson just for our Museum Reception?
My SiSteR!! OOXX
(PS check out her wonderful hand poured, custom scented candles at woolywax.com)
NEAT!
Alyson, I enjoyed listening to your interview with Sam and Poe. Sam and Poe, Congratulations on the museum show! It was also really interesting to hear your experiences in running the gallery. My husband and I are both artists with our studios at home so I can relate to working together. I wish you both great success!
Thanks Sally.
I have known a few married couple artists and we agree can be a rare a wonderful thing.
Great success to you two too!
Sally: Thanks for listening. I guess I had forgotten that your husband is also an artist. Thanks for that reminder.
So glad to have heard the podcast. What a great energy you both have and I love the way you work together. Congratulations on your exhibition.
By the way, I have one of your wood blocks that you so kindly painted and shared at our table at the 2016 Art Biz Breakthrough. It sits above my workspace and it makes me smile every time I see it. So proud of you two!!!
Cheers.
Ha! That’s great, Deborah. I love my woodblock, too.
Way to go
Sam and Poe!
Wonderful show
From one who knows!
Well done podcast! Like hanging out with you guys.
Yay! A poem!
Thanks Marcia!
we will be back in Bisbee next week. Let’s hang out!!
Sam & Poe, Congratulations on your exhibition in the main gallery. I am thrilled for you both. Nothing truly amazing in my life happens unless it is serendipitous. Like finding my first piece of Sam Woolcott art after a Bisbee 1000 and my second piece hanging in the Cornucopia. I am so visual and your special pieces always reach out to me: I can never walk away from them. Gary and I will be in Bisbee the last four days in December. I sincerely hope you will be there, because I have a couple photographs I’d like you to take a look at. Give Luna a big hug for me.
Sue!
Thanks! please give us a heads up before you visit.
Luna and I have got many happy miles under our belt together 🙂
Sam & Poe – Congratulations on your exhibit in Tucson. I can’t wait to see it. It’s been too long since I’ve seen you or visited your gallery. I so wanted to make it to your reception but had another commitment in Tubac. Will see the show soon and hope to see you both as well. All the best to you both. Enjoyed the podcast – thanks for sharing.
Thanks Karon, small world!
I was recently in Tubac at the Big Horn Gallery and inquired after you.
Please let’s reconnect soon..
Thanks Deborah, I can honestly say that Breakthrough started it all and we had a great group at our table! Hope to see you in November…
I really enjoyed listening to them!????Their work is amazing! It’s really enlightening to pick into their lives as artists working successfully together. Thank you for sharing this with us Alyson! Please do more of these interviews????????.
Thanks Veronica,
We sure had fun working with Alyson!
So inspiring thank you!
Alicia,
Your bright support helped me through these past months.
Thanks. Glad you are my irreverent buddy!
Hello from Tucson! I purchased a wonderful Sam painting at your gallery in Bisbee in April, and when I discovered your work was being featured at the U of A Museum of Art, I was so thrilled for you both! I was unable to make it to the reception, but visited soon after and have since brought three different friends to see it and they all love it!
We are planning to come to Bisbee for an overnighter in September, to see the B.R.A.T.S. parade, and we’d like to know what the date is, so that we can make hotel reservations. There may be six of us by that time.
(If you ever need a guest room in Tucson, I have one available.) It sleeps two, easily.
Best wishes for your continuing success!
Thanks so much Karen!
We can share info through my e mail sam@sampoegallery.com
The BRATS is the 4th weekend in October but September is a great time to have an overnighter too!
We love to recommend the Letson Lofts just above us on Main St. or the Jonquil up Tombstone a few minutes away.
Cheers!