Sam Birks moved to Whatcom County in 2025 after spending 15 years in Eastern Washington. Originally from Detroit, her family relocated to Washington State when she was three. Growing up a river rat, she spent her childhood catching crawdads and pretending to be Huck Finn, or playing “newspaper cartoonist” and “police sketch artist” in her room. After earning her MFA at UC Davis, she lived and worked in the Seattle area for a decade as a professional art framer and artist before relocating to Ellensburg, WA, to raise her two children.

Birks’ work has always embraced a playful collage sensibility, drawing influence from neo-expressionism, pop culture, pop art, graffiti, and cartoons. Since coming out as a lesbian, her paintings have taken a more personal and transformative turn. While her earlier work often reflected feminism and female identity, touching on themes of motherhood and childhood, her recent work has evolved to focus on sex, love, and a celebration of women’s beauty and strength. Using vibrant pinks and oranges, Birks expresses a bold and authentic perspective shaped by her queer identity.

Above all, Birks is a painter. The joy of making marks and mixing colors remains at the heart of her work. She is listed on the Washington State Artist Commission roster, has exhibited extensively across the country, has work in the Oregon State Capitol, and won numerous awards for her art.