Born: St. Ignatius, Montana, 1940
Resides: Corrales, New Mexico
Jaune Quick-To-See Smith, an enrolled Flathead Salish, is one of the most acclaimed American Indian artists today. She has been reviewed in all major art periodicals. Smith has had over 80 solo exhibitions in the past 30 years and has done printmaking projects nationwide. Over that same time, she has organized and/or curated over 30 Native exhibitions, lectured at more than 175 universities, museums and conferences internationally, most recently at 5 universities in China. Smith has completed several collaborative public art works such as the floor design in the Great Hall of the new Denver Airport; an in-situ sculpture piece in Yerba Buena Park, San Francisco and a mile-long sidewalk history trail in West Seattle.
Smith calls herself a cultural art worker which is also apparent in her work. Elaboration on her Native worldview, Smith’s work addresses today’s tribal politics, human rights and environmental issues with humor.
“For all the primal nature of her origins, Smith adeptly takes on contemporary American society in her paintings, drawings and prints, looking at things Native and national through bifocals of the old and the new, the sacred and the profane, the divine and the witty.”
-Gerrit Henry, Art in America, 2001-