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Please join us for a special screening of Color – Light – Spirit: Studio Sam Feinstein, a 40-minute documentary celebrating the life, teaching, and artistic vision of Sam Feinstein. The evening will include a post-screening panel conversation with Pat Feinstein, Binney Meigs ’72, and Terry Clattenburg ’59, reflecting on Feinstein’s work on loan to the SCH Permanent Art Collection—including Rising, Immigrants, Rip Van Winkle, and Starry Night—and his lasting influence on generations of artists.
In 1938, Sam Feinstein became head of the Arts Department at what was then Chestnut Hill Academy (CHA), the boys’ school that later became part of Springside Chestnut Hill Academy. His philosophy and pedagogy, much of which was shared and carried forward by CHA art teacher Barbara Crawford, shaped countless students and helped define the artistic spirit of the school. Their shared belief in art as a vehicle for perception, presence, and transformation continues to resonate throughout our community.
Through vibrant paintings, archival audio, video, and film footage, the documentary brings to life Feinstein’s dynamic approach to art and creativity. Alumni voices offer personal insights into his teaching, which invited artists to see—and paint—in transformative ways. As Feinstein famously said, “We don’t paint flowers; we paint flowering.”
Samuel L. Feinstein (1915–2003) was a painter, teacher, and filmmaker whose work and pedagogy were rooted in a deeply spiritual approach to artmaking. Born in Russia and raised in Philadelphia, he exhibited widely at a young age before devoting his life to teaching and creative exploration. Over a 70-year career, his work evolved from realism through modernist movements to his own radiant form of Luminist Abstraction, driven by an extraordinary exploration of color.
Feinstein taught not only at CHA but also at institutions including the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Pratt Institute and led influential private workshops for more than five decades. He also created significant art documentaries, including a landmark film on his teacher Hans Hofmann. His legacy continues to inspire artists to see, feel, and create with depth, integrity, and light.
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