[biography]
Born in Hingham, MA in 1971, and raised on the South Shore of Boston, some of Minkin’s earliest memories of creating art were childhood moments spent doodling on the back of a placemat at a restaurant or in a sketch book on a boat to Nantucket. From those early moments on, he always had a pencil in pocket, a piece of paper in hand, a new creation just moments from taking on a life of its own. For Minkin, being an artist wasn’t an option; it was a given from an early age.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Skidmore College in 1993, Minkin continued his education at the Museum School at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, earning his Master’s degree through Tufts’ program in 1996. While attending, he had the opportunity to study under one of his biggest influences and mentors, Carroll Dunham, who revered Minkin’s bold, whimsical style and strongly encouraged him to pursue a career in the arts. For his final thesis project, Minkin produced a series of extra large abstract maps, a theme that still serves as inspiration and subject matter for his work today.
From there, looking to expand his horizons beyond his New England roots, Minkin spent a decade living and experiencing life in Miami, New York, San Francisco and Chicago and traveling internationally before returning to Boston in 2006. Minkin’s travels, coupled with his formative years spent in a quaint, coastal town, where summers were filled with days at the beach or watching the lobster boats come in, have served as a profound source of inspiration over the years. Many of the recurring themes in Minkin’s work harken back to his days near the water, bearing witness to the beauty and serenity of his surroundings or particular objects, and to sentimental thematic impressions, and their reinterpretation into evocative works of art.
Since reestablishing himself in Boston, Minkin has worked closely with many founders in the technology and innovation world and is fortunate to count a number of high profile tech, finance and business leaders among his clients and collaborators. He has also been fortunate to have had the opportunity to work on several projects not typical for a fine artist, including a 10 year stint as the “Artist In Residence” for BzzAgent, a word of mouth marketing firm, that was acquired by DunnHumby in 2011. In this role, Minkin created his own work for sale in his studio within DunnHumby’s offices at 500 Harrison Ave in the South End of Boston, and was a significant contributor to several of the firm’s most successful projects and events. This collaboration also lead to a featured segment on CBS Sunday Morning on 'Where Art Meets Business.'
In 2008, Minkin was selected by the Pentagon to be the creative voice for “Military One Source,” a Department of Defense program for veterans. Over the course of 12 months, he was commissioned to create a series of 20 oil on canvas originals, that were then used in various print, internet and television advertising campaigns, which ran between 2008-2010.
Minkin has also collaborated with several makers of consumer goods, including a line of stunning one of a kind watches by Montana Watch Company, rendered in the finest metals and gem stones, based on his oil on canvas originals. In 2016, he joined forces with Castaway Clothing Nantucket, to create a unique and fun swim suit, based on his ongoing “Sardines” series, which was relicensed for the 2017 spring/summer season and was renewed for a second run the following year.
In December of 2016, Minkin opened Seth B Minkin Studio + Showroom in South Boston. After creating art in many spaces in many places over many years, it was time to create the perfect environment in which to showcase Seth’s original oil on canvas works, many of which are large format and bask in an abundance of light. Open by appointment, Minkin’s studio is the ideal vantage point to really take in and enjoy his fun, whimsical and thoroughly delightful pieces, or to simply seek inspiration. Along with recent originals, the studio also features several examples of Seth’s most recent forays into product development; fresh prints in limited editions of 75 and the re[fine]d [art] collection, a line of luxury wearable scarves and pocket squares, based on his art.