Mark T. Smith

Mark T. Smith, Pilgrimage to Paradise Centerpiece
Side 1, Side 2

Born in Wilmington, Delaware, Smith moved to New York City in 1986 to study at the Pratt Institute. After graduating from Pratt, he made New York City his home until June 2004. He now divides his time between Washington, D.C. and Miami, FL.

In 1990, Smith received his first commission from the Walt Disney Company. The project involved the creation of a poster for national distribution announcing the 19th birthday of Walt Disney World.

Throughout his 20s, Smith made his living in New York City as an iconoclastic artist known for his highly recognizable paintings. Corporate patronage helped Smith become an increasingly recognizable figure in the crowded New York City art world, and his patrons included the likes of MTV, Pepsi, AT&T, Budweiser, VH-1, Taco Bell, and many more. The distinctiveness of Smith’s work culminated in the national Absolut Vodka campaign in 1996, entitled "Absolut Smith".

His artwork has been displayed in the U.S. and abroad, and on the walls of discerning collectors and the collections of celebrities like Jay Leno, Neil Diamond, and Elton John.

He also hand-painted a pair of PT Cruisers that were commissioned by Daimler-Chrysler that were driven across the U.S. and exhibited at the Cannes Film Festival as part of a worldwide promotional tour. One vehicle was auctioned for the charity Operation Smile to a private collector, and the other is in the Walter P. Chrysler Museum’s permanent collection in Michigan.

Since moving to Miami from New York City in 2004, Smith has participated twice in Art Basel, as well as other solo and group gallery exhibitions.

In 2009, Smith was chosen as the first artist to "Paint on Pink". He painted on pink material recycled from the Pink Project, the art installation that launched Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation New Orleans. The artwork created from this project and all of the proceeds were donated to Make It Right, whose purpose is to help "residents of New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward rebuild their lives and community in the wake of Hurricane Katrina."

Smith was the master mind behind the Key West puzzle concept. He picked up and delivered all the pieces in an epic journey from New York to Key West (see upcoming post describing this adventure!) Smith also exhibits at Key West's Gallery on Greene.