Art Smith
Art Smith (1917–1982) was a highly acclaimed jewelry artist whose extraordinary avant-garde creations pushed the limits of modernism from 1946 to the early 70s. As Smith’s artistry grew, so did his association with some of this country’s most prominent Black artists including James Baldwin, composer and pianist Billy Strayhorn, Lena Horne (who wore his jewelry), and Harry Belafonte. He opened a store in Greenwich Village on West Fourth in 1946, which operated until 1979, shortly before his death in 1982. He pioneered many mid-century jewelry innovations including bold, geometric pieces that cover and reveal the body, often fabricated from wire and large pieces of silver. Much of his work was of a completely different scale from his contemporaries. He has been called a star of the modernist jewelry movement.
