For 25 years, one Miami woman helped to solve hundreds of cases through her work as a forensic artist. But last year, Samantha Steinberg made a career shift using her artistic ability for a newfound passion.<\/p>\n
52-year-old Steinberg has always had a passion for art and true crime. Now, she is creating a different kind of art alongside her nephew, who now serves as her business partner. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe’ve gone from painting shoes to different sort of subject materials because things sort of change with the trends. So, we want to be able to do projects that represent us, but also move us forward,” explained Steinberg’s 24-year-old nephew Hudson Revesz. <\/p>\n
Steinberg and Revesz decided to join forces about four years ago. It first started with custom sneakers, which is a passion of Hudson\u2019s, and then shifted to luxury handbags.<\/p>\n
From YSL, to Hermes, to Nike, each piece one of a kind. \u00a0Samantha describes herself as being the creative as Hudson operates the business. However, both contribute to the final vision of the company, Reed Revesz, luxury leather products.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo where we’re trying to make something that hasn’t been done before and just focus on all the details and intricate intricacies within the work we’re making,\u201d Revesz shared. <\/p>\n
Life Before Luxury Art<\/p>\n
Before she explored creating art on luxury goods, Steinberg studied at Rhode Island School of Design and eventually came back to Miami. \u00a0The true crime junkie was introduced to forensic art through a book she was reading, and later reached out to Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, which was Miami-Dade Police at the time, to see what opportunities would be available to put her two passions together.<\/p>\n
Steinberg recalls connecting with the officer who was doing sketches at the time.
\u201cHe and I became partners from 1998 till about 2001, when he retired. And then it was just me at the police [department],\u201d said Steinberg. <\/p>\n
From helping with missing persons cases to identifying skeletal remains, her sketches were able to give closure to families and help prosecute those who were found guilty.
\u201cIt was always amazing for 25 years to me to see how accurate our victims were or how close I could come based on the human remains. And I don’t think there’s anything in art that’s going to quite give me that same feeling,\u201d said Steinberg.<\/p>\n
Early in her career, she worked alongside Fort Myers Police. She worked a case of identified remains of a baby in a shallow grave. Steinberg created a drawing of the baby to try and identify her, using just photos from the crime scene. Her sketches were ID\u2019d by the baby\u2019s grandmother, later aiding in the identification of the baby\u2019s parents. <\/p>\n
This led the arrest of the pair seven days later. Steinberg recalls that the child’s mother testified against the father. The father was later convicted in a death penalty case.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember talking to my partner at the time, the police officer that I worked with, and saying to him, ‘if I never solved another case, it would have all been worth it for this’,” Steinberg explained. “You know, the years of volunteering, the years of trying to get the position created, all of that. For this one case, it would have been worth everything that that I had gone through to get to that point.”<\/p>\n
Another big case Steinberg reflects on was a serial rapist case in Miami. The perpetrator broke into homes of elderly women, robbing and sexually assaulting them in the early hours when they were asleep.<\/p>\n
The first few victims had no way to identify the man. Steinberg recalls they had DNA and fingerprints but the suspect was not in any database. The last victim was showering when the suspect broke in and she saw him. Steinberg says she developed a sketch based off that last victim\u2019s memory, and the next day the officer went back to the victim\u2019s building. The officer was introduced to a man, who looked identical to Steinberg\u2019s sketch. Confirmed through DNA, that man was the offender, and was arrested. <\/p>\n
Steinberg no doubt is proud of the work she’s done. \u201cI mean, I loved the career I had, I still love the work,\u201d shared Steinberg.<\/p>\n
The Next Chapter<\/p>\n
From cracking cold cases, to creating a personal keepsake, the aunt and nephew duo reminds us that true passion never goes out of style.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it’s really interesting to be open to the idea that you can have a second career and that you can be equally passionate about it and it can be equally challenging, and that you’re willing to take that leap of faith that this could be something really great,\u201d shared Steinberg with a smile.<\/p>\n
While they are just getting started, they have already sold various collections and have done commissioned pieces. Depending on the intricacy of the work, time it takes and details, prices can range from $2,000- $10,000 or more. Hudson shares their long-term goal is to continue collection pieces, that will eventually be displayed in storefronts.<\/p>\n
But they also enjoy completing commissioned pieces.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sweetest, best reaction you could get from like a custom gift that the person that received it was so moved that they were brought to tears. So, it’s not quite the same as the old career, but I think art has the ability to impact people in so many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n