PRINCESS SMITH
2013 Emerging Artist of the Year
Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of The Arts
"As I evolve, as does my work." - Princess Smith
Artist Princess Smith is a Tampa native and graduate of Jefferson High School. She received her Associates degree from Hillsborough Community College; her bachelor's degree from the University of Tampa; Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of South Florida.
Princess was awarded the Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2013 Gasparilla Festival of the Arts. Tampa Bay Times Columnist, Earnest Hooper, reported about the emotionally charged art exhibits of Princess Smith and featured her work in an article covering his experience at the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts (GFA).
Since then, Princess has become one of the most notable artists to watch in Tampa Bay. She rendered a painting from her 2013 collection called "Fingerprints" which was purchased by the Hillsborough County Commissioners' Public Art Program and other private donations at the Beth-El International Art Festival. “Fingerprints” is now a permanent fixture at the newly remodeled Seminole Heights Library. A commissioned painting “Champions of Change” was also installed in 2016 at the newly renovated Robert W. Saunders Library.
Smith’s work in 2014 brought forth a dynamic body of oil paintings and watercolors balanced by revealing a female subject who defies the expected idea of beauty. The watercolor paintings are loose and rendered almost aggressively to celebrate the female figure in all its majesty.
Through her journey of celebrating children, motherhood and femininity, Princess’ work began to take on a more direct approach which inspired her works in 2015/2016. With paintings like “Filthy Rags”, “Swing, Swing” and “Charge!” Smith captured the story of the distorted self-images that are often portrayed by African American women due to injustices caused by slavery, colorism and racism in America. In February 2016, WEDU-PBS Arts Plus national television show host Dalia Colon sat with Princess for a candid interview on her latest body of work.
This collection also caught the attention of diamond recording artist Swizz Beatz after seeing her work on Instagram. Swizz Beatz immediately brought Princess onboard to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Rebel camera by Canon. Princess teamed with Swizz Beats and The Dean Collection for the "Rebel with a Cause" campaign to showcase "The Unknowns" (emerging artists without a proper platform for their work), an art installation that illuminated the building walls of both the Brooklyn Museum and the Bronx Museum of the Arts. The heavyweight producer made epic waves by bringing Princess’ art to the world renowned Sotheby's Auction House. Princess joined 4 other "Unknowns" for a silent auction at Sotheby's where her painting “One White Earring” was sold to an anonymous bidder.
Although Princess Smith has become a rising star in the Tampa art scene, she is committed to contributing to important causes. She has made generous art donations to the Florida Holocaust Museum, Galleria 909 and educational non-profit We’re HERE To Help, Inc. to show support for her community. In 2016, she highlighted the works of other female African-American artists with her first curated art show “A SISTAR Movement”. As she prepares to take her work into the future, Princess seeks to leave an indelible impression on the souls of anyone who experiences her work.
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2016 The Unknowns Exhibition
Swizz Beats and Princess Smith at Sotheby's
2019 SHINE Mural Festival
Golden Girl with the Big Guns