Sherry Smith built an international career before leaving a lasting mark on Tampa Bay’s printmaking community. After studying painting and illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, she worked for decades in Europe as an art director and advertising artist.
When Smith moved to St. Petersburg in 1992, she was simply searching for a press where she could continue creating etchings. That search led her to Eckerd College, where she became an artist in residence and generously shared her knowledge with students interested in printmaking.
Known for her finely crafted etchings and mezzotints, Smith demonstrated the expressive possibilities of traditional intaglio techniques while encouraging others to explore the medium for themselves.
Although her time at Eckerd was cut short by her passing in 1996, Sherry Smith’s influence lives on through the students she mentored and the thriving printmaking tradition that continues to flourish throughout the Tampa Bay region.
Share Article:
