BOARD MEMBER

PETE SMITH

Pete Smith grew up in the northeast surrounded by the arts. His Grandfather was an inventor. His uncle acted and directed on Broadway and came to America as part of Sarah Bernhardt’s troop. His father was a painter, photographer and aerospace engineer. His Aunt was an author and a book buyer for a major department store, often gifted him with books signed by the author including James and the giant Peach by Ronald Dahl. Both Pete and his brother, a gifted musician, took years of piano lessons from Mischa Portnoff; internationally know composer, pianist and pedagogue.

Pete’s art work has exhibited in colleges, churches, galleries, and museums since the age of eleven (a three foot tall several thousand toothpick sculpture). He took private painting lessons from internationally know artist Jocasta Loebert, whom he credits for teaching him more than all his school teachers and college professors combined.

Pete majored in Fine Arts in the painting and print making department at Virginia Commonwealth University. He also took advanced drawing classes at HCC and papermaking at USF. In the early 80’s he and Jack Casey opened a local art studio in Tampa. They collaborated on a documentary on the restoration of the Tampa Theater, when Pete started a small video production company. He helped build a thirty five foot tri-Moran and a sixty four foot catamaran. He built exhibits for museums then became production manager for Amcraft Fixtures. Their custom work included clients such as Calvin Kline, Andre Francois, Natural Issue, most major airlines, Carmine Theaters, Perrier, and many others.

Pete has designed book covers, done illustrations for magazines, and designed logos for several organizations. He has a long list of private collectors of his paintings and drawings through out the country. He continues to paint, mostly in oils, and gives private lessons.