Robert Alan Smith - Mid Century Modern Artist
MIDCENTURY MODERN ARTIST
RA SMITH is a remarkable artist spanning over four decades in a successful dual-art career. He was an award winning animator for the top names in the industry.
Throughout his life he rose to the top of the world of fine art. This website is devoted to his accomplishments in the world of fine arts.
Robert Alan Smith was born July 17, 1927 in Pasadena, California. He lived and worked within 100 miles of his birth place for the majority of his life. His life encompassed a dual art career: animator and fine artist. In both fields he rose to the top. His work hung in the WHITE HOUSE he's in prestigious collections such as THE SMITHSONIAN and LIBRARY OF CONGRESS and studied at the famous CHOUINARD ART INSTITUTE and with some of the world's most notable artist.
HE TRAINED WITH THE BEST
CHOUINARD ART INSTITUTE, Los Angeles, CA 1948-49
Studied under DONALD GRAHAM, RICHARD HAINES and DAN LUTZ
ESCUELA UNIVERSITARIA DE BELLAS ARTES, San Miguel de Allende, Gro. Mexico. Study of Fine Art and Mural Painting with DAVID ALFARO SIQUEIROS, Mural Project 1949-50
LISTED IN:
Who’s Who in America
Two Thousand Men of Achievement- 1972
Davenport’s Art Reference and Price Guide 2001/2002 (Page 1725)
ONE MAN SHOWS
Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Pasadena Art Museum
Norton Simon Museum (formerly Pasadena Art Museum)
Norton Galleries, St. Louis, MI
Art Center, Ojai, CA
Graywood Galleries, CA
Michel Thomas Gallery, Beverly Hills
Ventura College
Orr’s Gallery, San Diego
Maxwell Gallery, SF
Barnett Bros., Beverly Hills
Ventura Public Library
PRESTIGIOUS VENUES
RA SMITH HAS SHOWN HIS WORK IN UNIVERSITIES, MUSEUMS, THE WHITE HOUSE, SMITHSONIAN, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Pasadena Art Museum
Library of Congress, Washington DC (Permanent Collection)
Dick Art Center UCLA, Los Angeles (Invitational)
The Greek Theater, Los Angeles
Santa Paula Annual Exhibition, CA
Chouinard Art Institute
Gallery of Contemporary Arts, Ojai, CA
Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC (Permanent Collection)
Seattle Art Museum
Art Association of Newport, RI
Fort Worth Art Center, TX
Rochester Institute of Technology
Southwest Missouri State College
State University of Iowa
University of Wyoming
Denison University, Ohio
Regar Memorial Museum of Natural History, AL
East Texas State College
Barat College, IL
Talladega College, AL
Lawrence College, WI
Santa Barbara Museum, CA
Iowa State Teachers College, IO
University of Florida
New Mexico Western College
State Teachers College, PA
University of Utah
College of St. Francis, IL
University of Missouri
50 American Printmakers 1961
Hollins College, VA
Stanford University, CA
Ohio Wesleyan University, OH
Central Missouri State College
Brigham Young University, UT
Spring Hill College, AL
Washington and Lee University, VA
Bradley University, IL
Agustana College, IL
Mississippi State College for Women
Longwood College, VA
North Carolina College, NC
Texas Woman’s University
Emory University, GA
Southwest Texas State College, TX
Howard College, AL
Birmingham Public Library, AL
Mary Baldwin College, VA
Eastern Washington College of Education
Wesley College, GA
Cornell College, IO
Western Illinois University
Indiana State Teachers College
DeCordova and Dana Museum
The Boston Museum
The Brooklyn Museum
The American Federation of Arts
The United Nations, NY
The New York World’s Fair 1964
California Institute of Technology
The White House: Lyndon Johnson’s residence and Dr. Kissinger’s office 1966
AWARDS
1961 Purchase Award, Library of Congress (8 Serigraphs FP-XX-S657 in all)
Purchase Award, Boston Museum
Purchase Award, University of North Dakota
1960 Purchase Award, Bradley University, IL
1960 Purchase Award Pasadena Art Museum
1961 Sen. James D. Phelan Award for Native California Painters
1962 Purchase Award, Bradley University, IL
First Prize Annual Competition, Chouinard Art Institute
Departmental Award, Chouinard Art Institute
CURRENT VALUE?
While the above award was from the early 1960's, by 2001 DAVENPORT lists his serigraphs at $1,200.
Since nearly all of RA SMITH's serigraph series were sold out over a half century ago, a new generation is inheriting them.
SERIGRAPHS
There was a very popular art movement in the 1960's involving serigraphs. It ws a screen technique that had cought on and have national competition and devoted art organizations.
This one at right is called CROWS FLIGHT and was accepted into the LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
Two of RA Smith's serigraphs hung in the WHITE HOUSE during Johnson's Presidency.
MOON TIDE is another serigraph from the early 1960's. Very little is known about the serigraph art movement. Here are a few informational links .
What Exactly IS a Serigraph?
Famous Friends
The Little 'Lost' Art Movement
OTHER MEDIA
In addition to thousands of serigraphs, RA SMITH has a whole body of work from his CHOUINARD days, watercolor, drawings, block prints still available.
During the decades following he rendered hundreds of large, mid-century modern oil paintings such as NIGHT FLOWERS at left.