Getting the Basics

Artist Information

Joy Smith is an artist from Tennessee who spent more than two decades in California before returning to her home state.
Her artwork captures the myriad ways African Americans live their lives in positive life affirming ways, not as victims of distress and disaster. Like her name, her art shows joy. She depicts black life with a strong southern sensibility that recalls the rural roots that many share. She captures children at play, women quilting, men watching in a world of porches and gardens-all of the ordinary activities that bind our communities together.