Samira Issa
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
SammyBammy is cultural storytelling through art. When we partner with orgs and nonprofits, that story becomes yours. with years working in the community for 7+ years.
NYC Action Lab X FANTASY IN COLOR BLM 2020.
During the height of the pandemic, I created a piece in collaboration with @nycactionlab , street art born out of an artistic partnership with the late founder of Fantasy in Color, Rob Ayala, and his wife and co-founder, Christy Ayala. Together, we formed a creative movement using art to speak directly to police brutality, bringing bold visuals to the streets that stopped people in their tracks and made our chants impossible to ignore. “No Justice No Peace!'“ wasn't just something we said. It was something people could see. The piece was captured by the NYC Action Lab media team and carried into a protest, becoming part of a movement bigger than any single artist. This photo was taken the day before — paint still drying, purpose already set.
graham windham 2020
In the summer of 2020, Samira Issa, founder of SammyBammy, co-led a youth art program with Graham Windham in Harlem alongside the late Rob Ayala, founder of Fantasy in Color. At the height of the pandemic, Samira worked alongside youth to help them find their voice through art, exploring identity, expression, and what it means to create something that is entirely yours. As a young artist herself, she met them where they were, guiding how they saw themselves and what they brought to the canvas. The program's final exhibition, attended by Graham Windham's investors, demonstrated the real-world impact of arts programming during a historic moment in time. That showing helped secure new funders, expand Graham Windham's reach, and pave the way for future initiatives rooted in art as therapy and community healing.
The Renaissance Summit 2025:
SammyBammy partnered with The Renaissance Summit 2025 on Build Your Block, a campaign centered on empowering local entrepreneurs and strengthening the community dollar. The custom shirts we designed became a standout moment at the event, generating organic visibility, sparking meaningful dialogue between local business owners, and creating new touchpoints for collaboration and community reinvestment strategy. A single creative asset extended the campaign's reach and impact well beyond the event itself.
Jean-Michel, Revisited or just, BASQUIAT..
This one was made during Covid, somewhere between Zoom classes and figuring out what to do with all that time. I found a pair of AF1s a size too big and couldn't just let them sit there. So I painted those too. Acrylic on canvas, 16×16, and acrylic on whatever those sneakers were made of.
SammyBammy was being brewed. I was doing commissions for pocket change, customizing clothing, and painting on anything I could find. That's where it all started. Not a business plan. Just a girl with paint and too much time, figuring out she had something.
I still have the skills. Creative above all things.