William E. Smith (artist) facts for kids

William "Skinny" Elijah Smith (1913–1997) was an important African American artist. He was known for showing the experiences of Black people in his artwork. His friend, the famous poet Langston Hughes, once said that Smith's art captured the "humor and pathos of Negro life in line and color." This means his art showed both the funny and sad parts of life.

William Smith's Early Life

William E. Smith was born in 1913 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. When his mother passed away, William moved to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1927. He went there with his two younger siblings to live with their father.

In 1932, Smith left home because his father did not support his dream of becoming an artist. He then learned about the challenges of daily life in Cleveland. He lived on very little money and stayed in the basement of a theater. There, he was discovered by Russell and Rowena Jelliffe. They were graduates of Oberlin College and started what is now known as Karamu House.

Smith earned a special scholarship called the Gilpin Players' Scholarship. This allowed him to attend the John Huntington Polytechnic Institute in Cleveland from 1935 to 1940. During this time, his art was shown in the Cleveland Museum of Art's yearly May Show. His work was displayed there many times between 1936 and 1949. Smith also continued his art studies at the Cleveland School of Art (now the Cleveland Institute of Art) and the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles.

William Smith's Art Career

Starting as an Artist

In the early 1930s, Smith began studying art at Karamu House. His teacher and mentor was Richard R. Beatty, who was skilled in printmaking. Beatty helped Smith learn different ways to create prints. In 1932, Smith became an art instructor at Karamu House Studios. He also took Saturday morning classes at the Cleveland Museum, taught by artist Paul Travis.

Smith created many stage sets and posters for Karamu House. He also designed over 30 costumes. His most famous costume designs were for Shirley Graham Du Bois' opera, Tom Tom: An Epic of Music and the Negro (1932). Because of his talent, Smith received the five-year Gilpin Scholarship. This helped him attend the John Huntington Polytechnic Institute from 1935 to 1940. Other famous artists who studied there included Charles L. Sallée Jr., Hughie Lee-Smith, and Elmer Brown.

Karamu Artists and World War II

From 1938 to 1940, Smith showed his art in 19 exhibitions with a group called Karamu Artists Incorporated. This group was a professional network for artists, officially started in 1940. Art critic Grace V. Kelly wrote about the group's goals. She said they wanted to show their members' art to the public. They also wanted to make sure people knew about the skills of Black artists and craftspeople.

However, this group did not last long. When World War II began, many of its main members, including Smith, Lee-Smith, Sallée, Brown, Fred Carlo, and Thomas Usher, had to leave. Smith served in the army during WWII as an assistant photographer in the education department.

After the War and Moving to California

After his army service ended in 1946, Smith continued his art education. He studied illustration and advertising. He then opened his own graphic arts studio. In the late 1940s, Smith became an art director for an advertising company. After his brother passed away in 1949, Smith moved to Los Angeles, California, to be closer to his sister.

In Los Angeles, Smith reconnected with Curtis Tann, a former colleague from Karamu House. Together, they started the Eleven Associated Artists Gallery. This was the first art gallery in Los Angeles specifically for African American art. In the early 1950s, Smith got a job as a blueprint draftsman at Lockheed Corporation. This job allowed him to keep teaching and working on his own art.

From 1956 to 1960, Smith continued his studies at the Chouinard Art Institute. In 1960, he also helped start Art West Associated. This was another group for Black artists. A reporter named William C. Roberson wrote about the group's success. He said they worked hard to get their art shown at places like the Los Angeles County Museum. The group displayed their art in many places, including banks, churches, and private homes. Their goal was to teach the public about the amazing skills of Black artists.

In the early 1970s, Smith kept creating art. He published illustrations about African American history for Cleveland's New Day Press. Throughout his life, Smith received many awards for his artwork and his generous actions. In 1976, Karamu House held a special show of his work called From Umbrella Staves to Brush and Easel.

Selected Exhibitions

• 1936–49 Cleveland May Show
• 1935–41 Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
• 1939 Dayton Art Institute
• 1938 Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts
• 1940 American Negro Exposition
• 1942 Association of American Artists Galleries
• 1943 Library of Congress
• 1942 Atlanta University
• 1966-8 National Academy of Design
• 1968 Oakland Museum
• 1969 Atlanta University
• 1996 Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio
• 1996-7 The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio
• 1997 Riffe Gallery, Columbus, Ohio
• Denver Art Museum
• Fyre Museum
• Benedict Art Gallery, Chicago (one-person exhibition)
• Lyman Brothers Gallery, Indianapolis (one-person exhibition)
• YMCA, Los Angeles (one-person exhibition)
• Florenz Gallery, Los Angeles (one-person exhibition)

Selected Collections

• Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
• Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio
• Golden State Insurance Co., Los Angeles
• Howard University, Washington D.C.
• Karamu House, Cleveland, Ohio
• Library of Congress, Washington D.C.
• Oakland Museum, Oakland, California
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Selected Works