Samuel A. Shushtari

Samuel A. Shushtari’s family has settled in the James Thrall Soby Estate, exposing Samuel to a variety of art. The house formerly belonged to James Thrall Soby, an influential art critic and a founder of the world-renowned Museum of Modern Art. During his time in the house, Soby threw a number of parties, inviting famous guests like Salvador Dali, Yves Tanguy, Joan Miro, and Pierre Matisse. Shushtari thus benefited from an early exposure to art and began exploring acrylic paints, spending hours experimenting. As the house is quite massive, Samuel A. Shushtari learned a number of maintenance skills there. He operates heavy machinery in order to take care of the grounds. He knows various aspects of carpentry, plumbing, and electric work and currently is helping his father paint the exterior. Before settling in Connecticut, Samuel A. Shushtari lived in Austin, Texas, and London, England, among other cities. He has traveled throughout the United States and spent extensive time overseas, including a year abroad in Rennes, France, where he learned to speak French fluently while living with a host family. Shushtari attended boarding school at Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut, earning high marks. He now is enrolled in Boston University’s College of Communication, where he focuses his studies on film. Samuel A. Shushtari has already made the Dean’s List. He also spent time studying painting at Hartford Art School, a part of the University of Hartford. Samuel A. Shushtari particularly enjoys BMX biking. He spends hours practicing daring tricks, doing 720-degree turns and upside-down flips. He enjoys being a part of the scene as he considers it to include an accepting, non-judgmental group of people. Shushtari works out on a daily basis and also enjoys golfing, snowboarding, and playing squash. He spent a summer at a squash camp and then played competitively in Hungary and the Czech Republic. Samuel A. Shushtari enjoys volunteering and has contributed his time to Hands on Hartford, a homeless shelter, and food shelf in the inner city.