Short Bio

An abstract expressionist artist. Smith is currently a tenured Associate Professor of Visual Art in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at Fayetteville State University and the Director of the Rosenthal Art Gallery at the university. He is an exhibition curator, arts administrator, and founder of the Ellington-White Contemporary Art Gallery in downtown Fayetteville.  Originally from Detroit, Michigan, I have lived with my family in Fayetteville, North Carolina, since 2007.

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A dedicated supporter of the cultural arts, Smith founded the Ellington-White Community Development Corporation (EWCDC) in 1997 in Detroit, MI.  EWCDC moved to Fayetteville, NC, in 2008 and opened the Ellington-White Contemporary Art Gallery, which opened in 2013 to showcase emerging and established artists. The gallery featured an annual exhibition schedule that includes both national and local artists, touring exhibitions, and curatorial research projects in the visual arts and humanities. The Ellington-White CDC is a nonprofit, arts-focused community development organization that promotes diverse cultural experiences across various artistic disciplines.

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 In Fayetteville, he was a member and President of the Fayetteville Art Guild, a founding member of the Fayetteville Arts Alliance, and Friends of African and African American Art. As the director of the Fayetteville State University Rosenthal Gallery, he has been instrumental in developing a national exhibition schedule and the development of the African and African American Art Collection.

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Nationally, he serves as the national co-chair of the National Conference of Artists (NCA) Board of Directors and Corresponding Secretary for the NCA Michigan Chapter Board of Directors. Founded in 1959, the NCA is the oldest organization dedicated to African American visual artists, and Smith has been a member since 1976, serving as a national officer and president. He also serves as a board member of The National Alliance of Artists at HBCUs and on the boards of the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra and Cool Springs Downtown Entertainment District.

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As an artist, he has exhibited his work nationally and internationally since 1975, in solo and group exhibitions with pieces included in numerous public and private collections across the country. Smith was privileged to have a solo exhibition in Aurillac, France, and participated in group exhibitions in India, China, and Senegal.

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