Aj Smith and Marjorie Williams-Smith
Aj and Marjorie began their art journey together in 1978. While the imagery of their artwork manifests a physical difference, they both share a passion for drawing and the spiritual essence of creativity.
Aj’s work reflects his journey through the Arkansas and Mississippi Delta regions as told through the faces of individuals who live there. Their communities are small rural isolated places. Though these areas are impoverished, the people survive against incredible odds and their faces present a noble and quiet dignity. They live humble lives with much to tell and even more to remember – they present the majestic innocence of our humanity.
Marjorie’s journey has been mostly an introspective one. Her drawings have allowed her to find a place of calm and reflection. When she first started drawing flowers, it was a way to preserve the floral gifts given to her by family and friends. Over time she saw the beauty of the forms – the rich tonal qualities, the textured surfaces, and the changes in color. These forms began to take on a metaphorical significance – the delicate appearance belies strength and conviction. The most recent drawings reflect the history of African Americans as told through the crops they worked as enslaved people and sharecroppers. These fields are also metaphorical in that they present a serene and inviting landscape that belies a dark past.
Left: Meeting in Oneida at Lee’s Grocery, Aj Smith, 2021, graphite pencil.
Right: BLACK FIELDS: THE SUGAR ENIGMA, Detail, Marjorie Williams-Smith, 2021, copperpoint, silverpoint, and copper wool on traditional gesso on Fabriano watercolor paper.
Aj Smith was born in Jonestown, Mississippi and currently resides in Little Rock, Arkansas where he has his studio, specializing in drawing with additional interests in painting and traditional fine art printmaking processes.
Aj Smith holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting and printmaking (1977) from Queens College, City University of New York (CUNY) and Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting and printmaking (1974) from the Kansas City Art Institute in Kansas City, Missouri. Recognized as a Master Printer in fine art printmaking – he apprenticed five years with Mr. Robert Blackburn, distinguished artist, art professor, and founding Director of the Printmaking Workshop, Inc. New York, NY. Aj Smith was awarded Artist In Residence positions at The Studio Museum in Harlem New York, NY and the Arkansas Arts Center Little Rock, Arkansas. Artist’s Fellowships include Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture Skowhegan, Maine; Tamarind Institute Albuquerque, New Mexico; Brandywine Center for the Visual Arts Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and the Vermont Studio Center Johnson, Vermont. Additional Awards and Fellowships include Mid-America Arts Alliance / National Endowment for the Arts, Arkansas Arts Council Artist’s Fellowship, and International Artist’s Invitation – 2008 GKK International Linocut Symposium Klatovy-Klanova, Czech Republic.
Aj Smith is recognized for an extensive national and international exhibition record of graphite pencil drawings, metalpoint drawings, and fine art prints. Notable art review publications include the New York Times Weekend Arts, Los Angeles Times, Flash Art Magazine; international office located in New York City, and Art Forum. His work is represented in public and private collections throughout the United States, China, and Czech Republic, to include the United States Library of Congress; Museum of Fine Art (formerly the Arkansas Arts Center Foundation Permanent Collection) Little Rock, Arkansas; Columbia Museum Columbia, South Carolina; Lauren Rogers Museum of Art Laurel, Mississippi; and the Philadelphia Museum of Art Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Marjorie Williams-Smith was born in Washington, D.C. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Howard University in Washington and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. After completing her academic training, she worked for several years as a graphic artist in New York City.
Ms. Williams-Smith taught art for thirty-three years at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock, and is now Professor Emeritus. She has exhibited her work regionally and nationally and her work is included in private and public collections including: the Arkansas Arts Center Foundation Collection, Little Rock; Evansville Museum of Arts, History, & Science, Evansville, Indiana; the Central Arkansas Library System; the University of Arkansas, Little Rock; the Historic Arkansas Museum; and the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Ms. Williams-Smith has received numerous awards for her artwork and was honored to create art for the United States Mint, which served as the design for the Congressional Medal honoring the “Little Rock Nine.” Most recently she was awarded the Governor’s Arts Award for an Individual Artist.