Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark T Smith.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have just come off my first solo exhibition in a decade, hosted by Mills Gallery in Orlando. The exhibition was a smash hit and marks my return to the Art World after a decade-long self-imposed hiatus.
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On May 30th, 2025, Mark T Smith opened his first solo exhibition in a decade in Orlando, Florida, at Mills Gallery. The exhibition was on view from opening night, May 30th, 2025, until July 25th, 2025.
*The Third Act* was not just an exhibition—it was a declaration. Featuring 29 works never before exhibited, this body of visual art reflected Smith’s continued exploration of energy, form, and meaning over the previous decade of creative practice. It marked his return to a full-time creative path. It was poetic that Smith’s career was rekindled in Orlando, as this city was where he received his first commission from Walt Disney at the very beginning of his career.
Curator Jillian Pini brought a sharp, insightful lens to the work, framing its relevance for that moment and introducing a groundbreaking collaboration, the Emerging Curator Program—a partnership between the Delaware Art Museum, the University of Delaware, and John William Gallery.
Proudly hosted at Mills Gallery in Orlando, the exhibition launched in style thanks to event partners Casa Obsidiana Tequila and The Boisset Collection, who brought sophistication and hospitality to the VIP celebration.
Biographical Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f42o0JLELLw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBtDNR7Up3Y&list=LL&index=5&t=23s
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Born in Wilmington, Delaware, Smith moved to New York City in the mid-eighties to study at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn. While living in NYC, Smith made his living as an iconoclastic artist known for his paintings, animations, and design work. 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, Walt Disney Co., and many more. The distinctiveness of Smith’s work culminated in the national Absolut Vodka campaign in 1996, entitled “Absolut Smith”. His artwork is has been displayed in the U.S. and abroad, including at all major contemporary art fairs. The works have been seen in major motion pictures and in global campaigns such as the poster design commissioned by the United States Olympic Team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and his work can be seen in Taco Bell retail locations internationally. Smith’s most recent commission was a mural for Valley Bank’s HQ.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
From an early age, I was always ‘making art’. I had a time when I didn’t verbally express myself very often so art was a way to interact with my surroundings. With parental influence and formal instruction, I was able to explore and develop artistically, and ultimately, I began to move down the life path of being an artist.
Smith’s work manifests itself in diagrams, notes, maps, drawings, and paintings. Many of the works selected for this website contain imagery about transitions and journeys. It is rare when we have the luxury of time or presence of mind to reflect on a journey before embarking on it, which much of Smith’s work examines from the journey of self-discovery to the journey into the realm of religious archetype and insight. My visual language is constantly evolving, and through travels or research I consume as much external stimulation as possible – this all becomes part of the mix in what ultimately will be the artistic output.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Having a mentor is a critical part of maturing in any discipline. I have been fortunate over the course of my career to have had many different mentors with different masteries of disciplines – Art, Business, Personal growth, etc. this started in the earliest days and continues until this day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.marktsmith.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marktsmithart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smithmarkt
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@marktsmithart
