Jo Smith

Jo Smith is a painter from Western Mass. She is known for her bright colors, sense of whimsy and a depth that is profound. This curious combination can be understood when you learn about Jo. Jo studied art in college and lived off campus twice, once in NYC and once in Kenya with the School for International Training. Jo started to think deeply about her time in NYC and in rural Africa. It was the juxtaposition these 2 experiences and the universal human need for expression that dominated Jo’s mind. After college Jo taught high school Art for 2 years. In 1994 she moved to Western Mass to paint full time and went to graduate school for Art therapy. Jo had became interested in the unconscious mind and its contributions in the creative process. She became curious about the drive to be creative; she wondered if this was innate and crossed all cultures. Even as Jo became an Art Therapist and worked with clients in psychiatric settings she was painting. “I have always had a studio of my own, it is essential. I am constantly in conversation about one’s relationship to self, other and the community. It is the intersection of the human condition and the creative drive that fuels my own creative process.” Jo has shown her work extensively throughout the Northeast and in Texas. Jo currently works and paints at Jo Smith Studio Gallery located at 9 market street in Northampton, MA.