Sam Chinkes

Sam Chinkes (September 1, 1922 – April 10, 2019) was an American artist and designer known for his abstract sculptures, photography, and packaging design.

Early life and education Chinkes was born in New York to Anna Chinkes and Max Chinkes, the owner of a camera store. Sam Chinkes worked at the store when he was a teenager. He began to draw the "first time he picked up a pencil."

Following his discharge, Chinkes attended the Veterans Art Center and studied industrial design at Pratt Institute

Career Advertising and design In 1960, Chinkes founded Sound Advertising, an advertising and public relations agency specializing in packaging design. He was featured in trade and business publications including Modern Packaging, Modern Plastics, Chief Executive Magazine, Candy and Confectionery, and Playthings Magazine. He was a judge for local, national, and regional contests for Mattel.

Personal life Chinkes, who regularly attended UFC matches, was known in the mixed martial arts community as one of the sport's oldest fans. He was profiled on The Ultimate Fighter in 2010; he was 88 at the time.

In addition to creating sculptures that the visually impaired could touch, he read for the blind through a radio reading service. In a 2000 interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, he said he hoped to establish a permanent gallery for the visually impaired.