Bayeté Ross Smith facts for kids

Bayeté Ross Smith (born in 1976) is a cool artist, filmmaker, and teacher. He creates modern art using different types of media. He lives and works in Harlem, New York City. His art is shown by Guido Maus, beta pictoris gallery / Maus Contemporary.

Bayeté Ross Smith's Education Journey

Bayeté Ross Smith studied photography in college. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography in 1999. This was from Florida A&M University. Later, he got a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Photography. He completed this at the California College of the Arts.

Exploring Art and Identity

Ross Smith is known as a conceptual artist. This means his art explores big ideas. He often looks at ideas about who we are and what beauty means. He also explores cultural traditions and how people live.

Early Career as a Photojournalist

Ross Smith started his career taking pictures for newspapers. He worked as a photojournalist for the Knight Ridder Newspaper Corporation. This helped him learn how to tell stories with images.

Art Exhibitions and Projects

His art has been shown in many famous places. These include the Oakland Museum of California. His work has also been seen at MoMA PS1 and the Brooklyn Museum in New York City. He has exhibited internationally too. His art has been shown in Accra and Warsaw.

Question Bridge: Black Males

Ross Smith helped create an important art project. It is called "Question Bridge: Black Males." He worked with Chris Johnson, Hank Willis Thomas, and Kamal Sinclair. This project uses videos to explore what it means to be a Black man in America. It shows different Black men asking and answering questions. This helps people understand different viewpoints.

The project was launched in 2012. It was shown in five places at once. These included the Brooklyn Museum and the Sundance Film Festival.

Unique Sculptures

Ross Smith also creates large sculptures. One cool sculpture was a giant tower of boomboxes. He installed it at the Alabama School of Fine Arts. This project included music chosen by students and staff.

Published Photography

His photographs have been in many books and magazines. They appeared in "Dis:Integration: The Splintering of Black America." His photos were also in "Posing Beauty" and "Black: A Celebration of A Culture." These books often feature African American images.

Awards and Teaching

Bayeté Ross Smith has received many awards. He won the Franconia Sculpture Park Jerome Fellowship. He also had residencies at several art centers. These include the McColl Center for Visual Art and the Kala Institute. He even appeared on a TV show called "Work of Art: The Next Great Artist."

Teaching and Mentoring

Besides making art, Ross Smith is a dedicated teacher. He has taught college students. He also mentors young people through art programs. He has worked with the International Center of Photography. He has taught at the California College of the Arts. He also teaches many courses for younger students.