Skylar Smith | contact: skylar.smith4@gmail.com
Skylar Smith is an artist, curator, and educator with an extensive background in start-up non-profits, art education, art programming, and community partnerships.
Education
2004 MFA, Painting and Drawing, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
1998 BFA, Painting and Art History, Maryland Institute, College of Art, Baltimore, Maryland.
Professional Experience
2023-Current Curriculum Developer, Hadley Creatives, Louisville, Kentucky.
2020-Current Artist-In-Residence, Francis Parker School, Louisville, Kentucky.
2018-2019 Associate Professor, Kentucky College of Art and Design, Louisville, Kentucky.
2010-2018 Assistant Professor, Kentucky College of Art and Design at Spalding University, Louisville, Kentucky.
2010-2015 Programming Director, Kentucky College of Art and Design, Louisville, Kentucky. Establishment, management, and oversight of Visiting Artist Program and 849 Gallery at Kentucky College of Art and Design.
2007-2010 Founding Member, Kentucky College of Art and Design (formally Kentucky School of Art), Louisville, Kentucky.
2009-2012 Founder and Facilitator, Cabaret Life Drawing and Art with Yoga, 21c Museum, Louisville, Kentucky.
2007-2010 Adjunct Professor, Jefferson Community and Technical College, Louisville, Kentucky.
2007-2010 Adjunct Professor, Jefferson Community and Technical College, Prison Education Program, Louisville, Kentucky.
2007-2009 Adjunct Professor, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.
Solo Exhibitions
2022 Paintings for the Future, fifteenTWELVE Creative Compound, Portland, Kentucky.
2018 Personal is Still Political, (two-person exhibition), The Huff Gallery at Spalding
University, Louisville, Kentucky.
2007 Euphotic Zone, Gallery Nulu, Louisville, Kentucky.
2004 MFA Thesis Show, G2 Gallery, Chicago, Illinois.
2002 Micro:Macro, Aslans How Gallery, Louisville, Kentucky.
Selected Group Exhibitions
2022 BLUE, Lowber Gallery, Louisville, Kentucky.
2022 Relief to the People: Benefitting Ukraine, SNAP Art Barn, Jeffersonville, Kentucky.
2022 Not a Certainty But a Circumstance, Quappi Projects, Louisville, Kentucky.
2021 Celestial, Lowber Gallery, Louisville, Kentucky.
2021 Heat Wave, Dodomu Gallery, Brooklyn, New York.
2021 A Howl is Also a Prayer, Anne Wright Wilson Fine Art Gallery, Louisville, Kentucky.
2020 We All Declare For Liberty, Quappi Projects, Louisville, Kentucky.
2018 Feminist Expressions, Kaviar Forge Gallery, Louisville, Kentucky.
2017 State of Time, Anne Wright Wilson Fine Art Gallery, Georgetown College, Georgetown, Kentucky.
2017 Nasty Women Kentucky, juried show, Parachute Factory, Lexington, Kentucky.
2017 Imagine, St. Francis School Invitational Art Auction, Louisville, Kentucky.
2016 KyCAD Gala Faculty Exhibition, Kentucky College of Art + Design 849 Building,
Louisville, Kentucky.
2016 State of Painting, Anne Wright Wilson Fine Art Gallery, Georgetown College,
Georgetown, Kentucky.
2015 Accumulation, Patio Gallery, Jewish Community Center, Louisville, Kentucky.
2014 13 Artists, 849 Gallery at Kentucky School of Art, Louisville, Kentucky.
2012 With Child, The Huff Gallery at Spalding University, Louisville, Kentucky.
2010-2011 Creativity Rising, Phoenix Hill Public Art Project, Louisville, Kentucky.
2009 Louisville Counts!, Green Building Gallery, Louisville, Kentucky.
2008 Palmer/ Simon/ Smith, Jefferson Community College Gallery, Louisville, Kentucky.
2008 Ordered Chaos, VonFire Gallery, Louisville, Kentucky.
2008 Inside/ Out, Nulu Gallery, Louisville, Kentucky.
2008 Cradle2Cradle: A Creative Re-use Project, Indiana University Southeast, New Albany,
Indiana.
2007 RoarShock, Swanson Reed Contemporary, Louisville, Kentucky.
2005 The Vagad Project, Rural to Urban/Urban to Rural Workshop. Rajasthan, India.
2005 New Work, Sanskriti Kendra, Delhi, India.
2004 Celebrating Women, Norton Women’s Pavilion, Louisville, Kentucky.
2004 Delicere, LG Space, Chicago, Illinois.
2003 Suspension, 1926 Gallery, Chicago, Illinois.
2003 Art Hotel, Embassy Suites, Chicago, Illinois.
2003 Wallpaper, Stray Show, Chicago, Illinois.
2002 New Talent, Artspace, Louisville, Kentucky.
2001 The Hangar Show, Cardinal Wings Hangar, Louisville, Kentucky.
Artist Residencies and Workshops
2016 Hand-Made Papermaking Workshop at Twin Rocker Handmade Paper, Lafayette, Indiana.
2005 The Vagad Project: A Metamorphosis From Rural to Urban, Delhi, India.
2005 Sanskriti Kendra: International Artist Residency Program. Delhi, India.
2000 Colegio Trener Monterrico: Artist Residency and Workshop. Lima, Peru.
Curatorial Projects
2020-21 BallotBox, art exhibition for Louisville Metro Hall and 21c Louisville Museum and Hotel.
2012 With Child, Co-curated with Lisa Simon. The Huff Gallery at Spalding University, Louisville, Kentucky.
2003 Suspension, Co-curated with Deirdre McConnell. 1926 Gallery, Chicago, Illinois.
2003 Wallpaper, Co-curated with zeke&neen. Stray Show Chicago, Illinois.
2001 Hangar Show, Cardinal Wings Hangar. Louisville, Kentucky.
Press
Rucker, Erica, ‘Parenting and Creating During A Pandemic’, LEO Weekly, January, 2021.
Thurman, Brittany, ‘BallotBox’, Rukus Journal, December, 2020.
Eadens, Savannah, 'The spirit of democracy.' BallotBox explores past, present and future of American voting’ The Courier Journal, March, 2020, (Picked up by the Associated Press)
James Fields, ‘Studio Visit with Skylar Smith: Her Story’, UnderMain, March, 2019.
‘21 Questions with Artist and Associate Professor Skylar Smith’, Louisville Magazine, December, 2018.
Mary Clore, ‘Personal is Still Political’, Ruckus Magazine, April 2018.
Eli Keel, ‘Huff Gallery’s ‘The Personal Is Still Political’ Contemplates Life in the Trump Presidency’, Insider Louisville, March 2018.
Lucy Pritchett, ‘What Works’, Today’s Women Magazine, September, 2016.
Sara Havens, ‘Accumulation at JCC’, Insider Louisville, January, 2015.
Holly Gregor, “Be Brave Do Your Thing’, Today’s Woman Magazine, March 2013.
Jo Anne Triplett, ‘Staff Picks’, LEO Weekly, October 15, 2012.
Diane Heilenman, ‘10 Artists to Watch’ The Courier Journal/ Velocity Magazine, April 2010.
Lynnell Edwards, ‘Front Pages’, Louisville Magazine, March 2010.
Stephen George, ‘Artist Profile’, LEO Weekly, September 2, 2009.
Diane Heilenman, ‘Do-Good Public Art Popping Up’, The Courier Journal, September, 13, 2009.
Diane Heilenman, ‘Count On It’, The Courier Journal, September 1, 2009.
Javacia Harris, ‘What I’m Into’, Velocity Magazine, April 22, 2009.
Javacia Harris, ‘The Other End of the Telescope’, Velocity Magazine, August, 30, 2008.
Jo Anne Triplett, ‘Staff Picks’, LEO Weekly, December 20, 2007.
Javacia Harris, ‘Critic’s Picks’, Velocity Magazine, September 23, 2007.
Diane Heilenman, ‘What’s New’, The Courier Journal, September 1, 2007.
Nicole Liest, ‘The Lion, The Artist and Bardstown Road’, LEO Weekly, June 12, 2002.
Diane Heilenman, ‘Gallery Gig’, The Courier Journal, September 16, 2001.
Paul Kopaz, ‘Notes From The Underground’, LEO Weekly, September 19, 2001.
Corporate Collections
Mercantile Lofts, Louisville, Kentucky
Brown-Forman Corporation, Louisville, Kentucky
Commonwealth Wine and Spirits, Louisville, Kentucky
Stockyards Bank, Louisville, Kentucky
Grants
2019 Kentucky Foundation for Women, Advancing Democracy, Building Power Grant
2019 Great Meadows Foundation, Artist Professional Development Grant
2016 Kentucky Foundation for Women, Artist Enrichment Grant
2016 Great Meadows Foundation, Artist Professional Development Grant
2012 Kentucky Foundation for Women, Art Meets Activism Grant for With
Child, an art exhibition, catalog, and public art classes.
Selected Honors and Awards
2019-20 Hadley Creatives Fellowship, Louisville, Kentucky.
2019 UnderMain Artist Profile, Lexington, Kentucky.
2021 Presenter, Kentucky Foundation for Women, Coffee Conversations, Louisville, Kentucky.
2021 Panelist, ‘Motherhood, Balance, and The Pursuit of Creativity’ Carnegie Center for Art and History, New Albany, Indiana.
2021 Panelist, Community Connections Artist Residency Selection Panel, Speed Art Museum, Louisville, Kentucky.
2021 Presenter, ‘Beyond the Ballot Box’ in conjunction with BallotBox, 21c Museum, Louisville, Kentucky.
2020 Panelist/Presenter, ‘Awakening 2020’ in conjunction with Wide Awakes and BallotBox, 21c Museum, Louisville, Kentucky.
2020 Panelist, ArtxFm, ‘BallotBox’, Louisville, Kentucky.
2018 Panelist, ArtxFm, Feminist Expressions, Louisville, Kentucky.
2012 Panelist, ‘With Child’ Exhibition, Spalding University, Louisville, Kentucky.
2012 Visiting Artist, Jefferson Community and Technical College, Louisville, Kentucky.
2011 Panelist, ‘Bars to Walls’ Symposium, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.
2008 Visiting Artist, Maryland Institute, College of Art, Baltimore, Maryland.
Visiting Artist and Panel Participation
2017-Current Advisory Board Member, Art+Fm, Ground Floor Media Inc. Louisville, Kentucky.
2015-Current 15th District Parent and Teacher Association (PTA)
2017 Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, Louisville, Kentucky.
2016-2017 Olmstead Parks Conservancy, Louisville, Kentucky.
2016 Louisville Film Society, Louisville, Kentucky.
2015-2017 Louisville Public Media, Louisville, Kentucky.
2015-2019 Patron Circle Member, Speed Museum of Art, Louisville, Kentucky.
2009-2013 College Art Association