Shinique Smith: Firsthand

(Los Angeles—January 22, 2013)The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) presents Shinique Smith: Firsthand at Charles White Elementary School as part of its ongoing engagement with the museum’s surrounding community. Drawing upon Smith’s upbringing in the urban grit of Baltimore and her early exposure to the vibrant realm of fashion design, Shinique Smith: Firsthand combines objects the artist selected from LACMA’s Costume and Textiles collection, new work based on her experience within the school and community, and art produced by Charles White Elementary School students. Smith’s capacity to view childhood memories and her daily environment differently—through the lens of an artist—motivated the students to consider the effects of their surroundings and identify sources of inspiration in their own lives. 

Image credits:

Shinique Smith, Passerine, 2008, Collection of the artist, © Shinique Smith

Shinique Smith, Perfect from the waist…, 2009, Collection of the artist, © Shinique Smith

Shinique Smith, Swaying Beauty, 2007, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Schiff Fine Art © Shinique Smith

Shinique Smith, this year’s girl, 2009, Courtesy of the artist and James Cohan Gallery, New York/Shanghai, © Shinique Smith, Image credit: Stephen Brayne