New work by noted Nebraska painter Robin Smith will be featured at an opening reception from 5-8 p.m. First Friday, October 4, at WallSpace-LNK Fine Art Gallery, 1624 S. 17^th.  Smith’s vibrant still life paintings make common objects a joy to behold. Bright red Bialetti espresso makers and shimmering silver coffee pots offer a visual “fix” without the caffeine. Clear and blue glass vessels reflect the light in Smith’s Chadron studio, and in some cases, the painter himself. Vast scenes and skies from Nebraska’s Pine Ridge landscape offer a compelling, different view of Smith’s painting prowess. The exhibit is open Fridays-Sundays, 12-5 p.m. October 4-27.

The still life works are part of a series “connected by motif,” Smith notes. “Currently I employ medium sized canvasses (40 x 30 inches) with objects in the middle of the picture plane on a table.” His scenic paintings reflect a lifetime of personal experience.  “Growing up on Cape Cod gave me a sense of the vastness of the landscape. The influence of the light and landscape is exacerbated by my surroundings in Western Nebraska.”

A former Chadron State College faculty member, Smith studied painting at the Skowhegan School and the University of Massachusetts before the MFA program at UN-L. He went on to earn a doctorate in visual ethnography from Arizona State. He also plays a mean banjo.

Robin Smith’s work has been shown at the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, the Museum of Nebraska Art in Kearney, the Sheldon Museum of Art and other regional museums and galleries. His paintings are part of many private collections and are held by MONA and Sheldon.

The exhibit is supported in part by the Nebraska Arts Council, the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, and contributors to the non-profit WallSpace for Artists and Audiences. Paintings are available for viewing and purchase Friday-Sunday, 12-5 from October 4-27 or by appointment by emailing doctor.robin.smith@gmail.com. 

This exhibition has been underwritten by

Laurie Richards and Dan Worth

and with support from