Provenance:

Purchased directly from the artist

Note:

JIM SMITH (1956 - ), R.C.A.

“In the context of the home, my work serves as an object of beauty and contemplation but also functions graciously in the serving of food or display of flowers. My intention is to provide a well considered contemporary object encoded with historical references that can offer an intellectual, visual, and sensual experience that enriches one's life.”

- Jim Smith -

Jim Smith is one of Canada's most acclaimed contemporary ceramic artists, whose vases, platters & bowls are widely exhibited and have won numerous awards.

Jim Smith, born in 1956, has been a studio potter in Chester, Nova Scotia, since 1984. After having studied pottery for four years, he travelled and lived on the island of Crete for six months. It was this enriching cultural experience that convinced him to become a potter. Upon his return back to Canada, Smith began researching schools and, through the encouragement of Walter Ostrom, Smith studied at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. Ostrom also introduced him to working with earthenware clay. Smith graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, majoring in Ceramics, in 1989.
Smith’s art has been greatly influenced by his travels; he has undertaken research in China, Mexico, Europe, Turkey, South Korea and Morocco, as well as done a residency in Italy. He has participated in over 80 exhibitions, both nationally and internationally, and his work is included in many prominent public and private collections, including The Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art in Toronto, and the Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute in Jingdezhen, China. He has won many awards for his work, including The QE II Golden Jubilee Commemorative Medal by the Canadian Government in recognition of distinguished career achievement and significant contribution to Canadian society in 2002, and was inducted into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 2008. He had the honour of being a juror for Canada's highest award in fine craft, the Saidye Bronfman Award/Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts. Smith has also recently been granted “Master Craftsman” membership with the Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council. He lives in Chester, Nova Scotia.

Selected Corporate, Private and Public Collections

Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Claridge Collection, Montreal, Quebec
Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, Toronto, Ontario
Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, Jingdezhen, China
Nova Scotia Art Bank, Halifax, Nova Scotia
 
Selected Solo and Group Exhibitions

2012 Titanica, Mary Black Gallery, Halifax, Nova Scotia
2011 The Clay Studio's Members Exhibition, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
2010 Nurturing Nature', Moorings Gallery, Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, juried
2009 Unity and Diversity', Cheongju International Craft Biennale, Cheongju, South Korea
2008 Speaking Low – Surfaces in Earthenware, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
 East Coast Ceramics, Burlington Art Center, Burlington, ON
2007 On The Table: 100 Years of Functional Ceramics in Canada, Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, Toronto; Winnipeg Art Gallery; Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, NS
2006 Canadian Contemporary Ceramics, Esplanade Art Gallery, Medicine Hat, AB
2005 The Art of Clay, Harbinger Gallery, Waterloo, ON
2004 Crowning Achievements: Contemporary Works in Clay, Government House, Halifax, NS
2003 Painterly Ceramics, Acadia University Art Gallery, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, curated
2002 Functional Ceramics, Wayne Centre for The Arts, Wooster, Ohio, U.S.A., curated
2001 Watermark, Mary Black Gallery, Halifax, NS
2000 Focus on Function, Katherine E. Nash Gallery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Fireworks 2000/2001, Fusion - The Ontario Clay and Glass Association, touring
1999 Redware: Tradition and Beyond, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
1998 Teapot II, Prime Gallery, Toronto, Ontario, invitational
 From The Kitchen to The Table, Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, Waterloo, ON
1997 Canadian/Chinese Ceramic Cultural Conference Exhibition, Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, Jingdezhen, China, invitational
1996 Walter Ostrom - The Advocacy of Pottery, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, NS
1995 The G7 Summit Collection, Summit Place, Halifax, NS
1994 Containment - The Space Within, Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, Waterloo, ON
1993 Thrown and Altered, Provenance, Calgary, AB
1992 Fifth National Biennial of Ceramics, Galerie d'Art du Parc, Trois-Rivieres, QC
1992 International Invitational Exhibition of Ceramic Art, National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan, invitational
1990 Fourth National Biennial of Ceramics, Galerie d'Art du Parc, Trois-Rivieres, QC, touring Canada
 
Selected Awards and Honors

2012 Master Artisan Status, Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council
2009 Professional Development Grant, Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage Industry Growth Program Grant
 Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council and Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage
2008 Membership Induction, Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
2005 Fine Craft – Creation/Production Grant, The Canada Council
 Creation Grant, Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage
2002 Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Commemorative Medal, Government of Canada award to honour distinguished career achievement and significant contribution to Canadian society
1996 Best Functional Piece Award, 'From The Ground Up', Nova Scotia Potters' Guild
1992 Exhibition Assistance Grant, Nova Scotia Department of Culture and Tourism
1990 Project Grant, The Canada Council
1988 Travel Grant, The Canada Council

Selected Links

jimsmithstudio.ca
Visual Arts Nova Scotia