Samantha Olschan

Assistant Professor

Digital Media and Design | Stamford


Assistant Professor, Motion Design & Animation – Stamford

Education:MFA in Film, Video, New Media, Animation, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 2007
BFA in Fine Art, Electronic & TimeBased Media, Carnegie Mellon University, 2003

Areas of Research/Artistic Focus:Animation, Motion Design, Visual Communication, Digital Art, Experimental Film, Fractured Narrative

Samantha Olschan is an award-winning interdisciplinary artist & designer who works across film, media, brands, and experiences. Her work explores the dialogue between image, typography, and culture to communicate complex narratives. Utilizing a blend of fine art and design, her creative practice uses aesthetic approaches to create layered meanings that reflect the experiences of marginalized groups and is dedicated to building empathy and amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities. As an educator, she combines collaborative, game-based & project-based learning in the classroom using digital media as a learning aid.

Recent exhibitions and screenings include the P.O.V. Series (PBS), The Short List (PBS), the Times Square TSX Jumbotron in New York City, HMVC Gallery New York,  MvVO Ad Art Show, The Connecticut Art Directors Club, Tag Gallery Los Angeles, Las Laguna Gallery, Gallery Omnibus, Art X Gallery, the GenAI Summit, Hollywood North Film Awards, The William Benton Museum of Art, The Peninsula School of Art,  Black Maria Film & Video Festival, New Haven International Film Festival, The Seattle International Film Festival, Boston Cinema Census, Boston Underground Film Festival, FrackFest, Visionfest, Tribeca Cinemas, Bumbershoot, Marblehead Art Association and Film Festival,  and Womenwhodraw.com.  

Teaching appointments in animation, design & media include: University of Connecticut, Pratt Institute, Wesleyan University, Quinnipiac University, Columbia College, New York Film Academy & The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She holds an M.F.A. in Film, Video & New Media: Animation from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago & a B.F.A in Fine Arts: Electronic & Time-Based Media from Carnegie Mellon University. 

Industry Experience: Nickelodeon/Nicktoons, Lionsgate, Animation Collective, Electric Entertainment, Kartemquin Films, Barefoot Rascals, Guerra Production, Montagna Productions, Fox News Channel, Zenith Optimedia

Samantha Olschan
Contact Information
CampusStamford