New York to Key West

Why a trip from New York City to Key West?

Many famous artists, presidents and other celebrities have been irresistibly drawn to Key West for the inspiration it provides. They have returned year after year to pursue the fishing, light or pilgrimages of other special elements of the rich environment.

The creative trend began shortly after Key West's settlement in the early 1800s, with the arrival of John James Audubon. During his visit, he added 19 new species to his monumental work, "Birds of America." Audubon was followed by Winslow Homer, who created his well-known series of marine watercolors, and by Frederick Remington, known for action-oriented paintings and sculptures. Even former president Dwight Eisenhower was moved to begin painting during a sojourn to Key West in the 1950's. The literary world contributed the talents of Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams and many Pulitzer Prize winning writers to the creative legacy of the island.

Therefore, in the grand tradition of the migration of these artists, Mark T. Smith made his modern day “Pilgrimage to Paradise”, originating from the art capital of the world, New York City, and driving down the eastern seaboard to Key West, Florida.

ARTIST STATEMENT

I embrace the universal, the archetypal, those things that speak to the movement and energy within each of us. That is why I choose to participate in projects like the Cow Parade (New York City, 2000). It is the main reason I came up with the idea to drive a PT Cruiser to my art opening in Key West. Instead of art being sequestered in museums, I’m trying to bring it out into the open, where everyone has as chance to see it.

I painted two Chrysler PT Cruisers. I drove one to the opening in Florida. This hand painted art piece was then auctioned for the benefit of a charity called OPERATION SMILE. For more information about this charity you can link to http://www.operationsmile.org

PILGRIMAGE TO PARADISE

The Pilgrimage to paradise was composed of three components.

First is the hand painted Chrysler PT Cruiser. This automobile is more than just the means of transportation – it was a vital piece of the exhibition. The rolling artwork set the tone for the trip - colorful, fun, and full of life – it will bring the exhibition to the entire East Coast. The Cruiser was the largest piece of artwork exhibited in the show. It is the rolling connection between the islands of Manhattan and Key West. You can view a color sketch of the PT Cruiser at the following location: http://www.marktsmith.com/keywest/PT.jpg

Second, the puzzle. The puzzle will be a sculpture of the island of Key West designed to fit perfectly into the rear cargo area of the Cruiser (with the rear seats removed). The sculpture is made up of eleven separate pieces. Each piece was shipped in advance to an artist in each of the states that the Pilgrimage will pass through. Each artist hand painted their state’s puzzle piece. As the Pilgrimage continued the puzzle was be completed. The eleven pieces of the puzzle represent the states that the PT Cruiser traveled through and the eleven district neighborhoods on the island of Key West. Several of the stops were at grade schools, high schools and college campuses.

The puzzle literally connects all of the states together, and is a testament to the depth of talent along this route and in this country. Each puzzle piece is a unique shape. Each piece of the puzzle exhibits the talents of an individual artist; therefore, the completed puzzle represents many different schools of thought and a wide variety of techniques.

Third, and most importantly, was the exhibition at The Gallery on Greene in Key West. The show included approximately 20 new paintings and 20 new drawings by Mark T. Smith. These paintings all dealt with the subject of a modern pilgrimage and were stylistically consistent with the hand painted PT Cruiser.

ABOUT THE PUZZLE & Raffle

The GRAND PRIZE in Operation Smile raffle is a puzzle made up of original art, entitled "Pilgrimage to Paradise". Each artist designed a unique puzzle piece representing one of the states along the US-1 route from New York to Key West. All pieces of the puzzle interlock to form one large work in the shape of the island of Key West. This puzzle and its frame have a value of $15,000.

Among the artists who contributed is Peter Max, who painted the state of New York puzzle piece. Imagine owning an original Peter Max for the investment of $50, the price of a raffle ticket. And the best deal is if you buy 5 tickets for $250, you get the sixth one for free. Final drawing will be held in April, 2011.

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.

Peter Max

Peter Max, New York
Side 1, Side 2

Possibly the most famous living artist in America Max's art work was a part of the psychedelic movement in graphic design. His work was much imitated in commercial illustration in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He works in multiple media, including oil, acrylics, water colors, fingerpaints, dyes, pastels, charcoal, pen, multi-colored pencils, etchings, engravings, animation cels, lithographs, serigraphs, ceramics, sculpture, collage, video, xerox, fax, and computer graphics. He also includes mass media as a "canvas" for his creative expression.

Max often uses American symbols in his artwork and has done paintings and projects for Presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan and Bush. Recently he created his 100 Clintons, a multiple portrait installation whose images were used through the four days of the Presidential inauguration. More recently, Max completed his fourth Grammy-Award poster, redesigned NBC television's symbolic peacock, was appointed as the official artist for the World Cup USA 1994 and created a "Peace Accord" painting for the White House to commemorate a historic signing.

His artwork is currently on the walls of CBS's The Early Show where his newly created installation of 44 Obamas, commemorating the 44th President of The United States, was debuted.

Roberto Parada

Roberto Parada, New Jersey

"I was born in 1969 and raised in northern New Jersey in a town called North Arlington, which was not a scenic place but it did have a great view of the New York City skyline. I eventually journeyed over that skyline to Brooklyn, New York to study fine arts and illustration at Pratt Institute. Upon graduating in 1991, I went head first into the editorial illustration market. My early clients ranged from The National Review to Playgirl magazine. At this time I was working in acrylics and repeatedly changed and updated my portfolio to target more portrait illustration assignments. Things dramatically changed for me and my career with a phone call to the great illustrator, Tim O'Brien. I felt the need to distinguish my work from what was out there and being an oil painter himself, he gave me the confidence to make the switch to oils instead of the water based mediums I had been working with. The work and the clients followed once I began refining my style with oils. These clients included Esquire, Playboy, Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, and Time Magazine to name a few. Living in New York at this point, I entered the fast pace and demanding world of weeklies and monthlies and loved it. My life in illustration now is dedicated to bringing about a greater conscious understanding of the dangers that exist in some of the materials we work with and still be able to create great artwork."

Luciana Abait

Luciana Abait, Florida

Luciana Abait is an Argentine painter and photo-artist who has lived and worked in Miami and now lives in Los Angeles. She draws inspiration from these tropical surroundings. Her latest series are underwater shots of swimming pools, doing for them with photography what David Hockney did with painted canvases. The artist presents her works like paintings, developing her photographs in shades of aquamarine on canvas and painting over the surface with clear gel. In addition to her canvases Abait’s underwater compositions are presented as light boxes. Each work draws the viewer into the peaceful world which exists beneath the surface.

Terry Newitt

Terry Newitt, Delaware

Terry Newitt's splashy watercolors have graced the Delaware Valley for many years. With great regularity, Terry visits Ireland where, on location, he paints a thematic series of seaside vistas. (His work sells very well in Ireland). He has an advanced degree from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He teaches art at the Delaware College of Art and Design, Archmere Academy, and the Delaware Center for the Contempary Arts. In 2004 Terry was acknowledged as Delaware's Art Educator of the Year. His recent works have excited the art community. In an semi-abstract and vibrant mode, Terry captures the graceful underwater dance of blue crabs, koi and lobsters. The results are colorful and mysterious, as if the viewer is peering into the water's depth. Terry considers his many First Place and Best in Show awards as the preface to his most valued "Art Educator of the Year Award."