Sam Messer, Yale Summer School of Art Director

By Bridgette L. Rallo

Making a point: Sam Messer, in his role as art director at Yale.

Sam Messer is a superstar in the rarified world of contemporary art. He has the kind of resume that most artists can only dream of: Director of the Yale Summer School of Art in Norfolk, Associate Dean of the Yale School of Art in New Haven, art professor, published author, art critic and, of course, working artist. His work is included in such august public collections as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. But if you met him walking his mismatched pair of white dogs on a summer’s day in Norfolk, you would never guess the magnitude of Sam Messer’s achievements. He is unassuming. a natural communicator, he is surprisingly easy to talk to, despite the intellectual intensity reflected in his work. Messer has brought that same quiet intensity to the School of Art summer program for nearly a decade. The summer art program is often overshadowed by its famous counterpart, the Yale Summer School of Music. Less well known by the general public, the art program brings nearly as many famous artists as musicians to Norfolk. For these artists, Messer is as much of an attraction as the rich, bucolic setting. An added bonus for residents of Norfolk is the fact that many of the talks and demonstrations given by visiting artists are open to anyone who lives here. “When I got the job here, I didn’t know anything about the town,” Messer says. Very quickly though, he and his family found themselves becoming more and more involved in town life. His wife, Elenor, initiated the now familiar art school picnic, where students, faculty and residents mingle over hot dogs and conversation. “I’m not completely altruistic,” Messer says, with a hint of a smile. “I’d like more people to know about this place and what we do here.” Messer is committed to providing a high caliber art environment for the community and, to that end he instituted two well-beloved programs aimed at local participation. Area artists have long attended free life drawing sessions twice each week. As Messer describes them, the sessions are “a cross between a class and a place for people to work with someone one-on-one.” He also started the popular Children’s Workshop and is quite proud of the growing number of children who participate. His daughter, Josephine, helped out during this year’s workshop. His plans for diversifying the program don’t end there. Messer is fascinated by the intersecting trajectories among the differing arts and would like to see more collaboration between disciplines. Over the past few years, he has introduced digital photography and collage, both of which require the use of more than one method to complete a work of art. A devoted literature buff, Messer collaborated with writers on two books and independently authored a critically acclaimed narrative about outsider artist Jon Serl , titled One Man By Himself (Hard Press Editions, 1995). He is trying to decide if and how the art of writing might enrich the six-week summer format. Messer’s habit of total involvement with his projects has spilled over into his life here in Norfolk in two important instances, one private and one public. As a private citizen with a residence in town, he volunteered for EMT training with the Norfolk Lions Club Ambulance and is now a driver on emergency calls. In his capacity as an artist, Messer is currently working on a series of portraits of Norfolk residents for an upcoming book.