Joseph A. Smith Papers

Joseph A[nthony] Smith was born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania in 1936. He studied with Hobson Pittman at the Pennsylvania State University in the summers of 1955 through 1958 and 1961 at which time Hobson retired and turned his painting class over to Smith. Smith received his BFA from the Pratt Institute in 1958, served in the armed forces from 1958 to 1960, and returned to Pratt on a scholarship to begin work on his MFA. In 1962 several of his previous instructors (including UConn Professor Emeritus Roger Crossgrove) turned their classes over to Smith as well so Smith was teaching painting, drawing, and figure sculpture classes full time. Over the years Smith has taught painting classes, figure drawing, anatomy and a reportorial drawing class co-taught with Jacob Lawrence. In 2012, Smith teaches third year drawing, illustration, and symbolic imagery (a class he created in the late 1980s) in the undergraduate program, and drawing and painting for majors preparing for their thesis exhibitions in the MFA program.

Smith has also worked as a professional artist since 1961. He has exhibited his work at the Pennsylvania Academy for Fine Arts (1961, 1967, 1969), at the Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences (1966), at the Bethel Gallery in Connecticut (1978), at the Newhouse Gallery in Staten Island (1982), at Adirondak Community College in New York ( 1987), at the Trenton City Museum (1992), at the Staemfli Gallery in New York (1992), at the Esther Allen Green Museum in Ohio, and at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center in Connecticut (2004). Though these exhibitions were independent, Smith has also worked extensively with other artists. Smith has also employed his art by working as a design consultant, an exhibition designer, and a member of the Board of Directors on the Staten Island Council of Arts (1971-1976).

Smith's art has been recognized by his peers with several prestigious awards, including the Mary S. Litt Award for Watercolor, 100th Annual American Watercolor Society (1967) and the New York Society of Illustrators Merit Award (1973, 1974, 1979, 1982, 1998).