The venerable Texas printmaker Mark L. Smith shares his thoughts on creativity, life in Johnson City, and what’s changed for artists in the wake of COVID-19.
Story by Andrew Keys Pepper
Mark L. Smith is no stranger to charting new territory. Best known through his work at Austin’s celebrated Flatbed Press, he co-founded the organization in 1989, and wore every hat imaginable there for over the course 20 years.
He also served as a teacher and fine arts administrator at UT Austin, Southwestern University, and Herron School of Art and Design at Indiana University. While he was at it, he earned a Ph.D. in art history for his scholarship of the artist Robert Rauschenberg.
In 2017, Smith charted a new course: to Johnson City, population 1,656. He describes the move as “somewhat mystical.”
“In a way, the town chose me,” he said.
In 2016, Smith curated an exhibition in Johnson City, at what was then called Texas Arthouse Contemporary Gallery, and something about the Hill Country town intrigued him. He’d also been pondering his next career move.
Finally, he settled on letting the fates decide. The answer was swift.
“Within a day or two, the gallery founder and owner, Mars Woodhill, called and let me know she had decided to sell the gallery,” he said.
Smith bought the gallery and became a Johnson City resident the following year.
Artistic community
“My move here has enhanced my art practice,” he said, “because the gallery building also includes a sizable studio space … My gallery, studio, and residence are all under the same roof. Essentially, I live in my studio—every artist’s dream.”
It’s a deeply held perception among creative people, especially artists, that it’s impossible to make a living in creative professions outside of cities. If it’s not New York or Los Angeles, it had better be Austin or Houston.
But as artists and younger generations are increasingly priced out of cities, thriving art scenes are emerging on the fringe—where art has always thrived. Though Smith made his latest move as an established artist, he sees a clear path in small towns for creative folks at every career stage.
“In today’s global environment, it hardly matters,” he said. “If you live in a small, regional town, you’ll just have to work harder to make your work known to the wider world, both online and in personal contacts with other artists, gallerists, curators, and critics. One can start in a village, then expand to a region, then nationally, and internationally, but that takes serious dedication.”
That said, he believes it’s rare that the relationship between artists and cities isn’t generative, and suggests younger artists seize the opportunity to spend time immersed in an urban art scene if that presents itself.
“It hardly ever fails to help an artist to be in a major metropolitan area, especially early in one’s career.”
Smith’s move hasn’t come with limitations—“people in Blanco County aren’t used to seeing highly abstract and minimalist art,” he said—but as an educator, he’s enlivened by the prospect.
“Operating the gallery takes much more time than I had expected,” Smith said, “and marketing contemporary art in the Texas Hill Country has its challenges, but I’ve enjoyed stirring the pot a little.”
Responding to change
COVID-19 has also stirred the pot, and the virus has dealt a major blow to the arts community worldwide. Smith works in printmaking, an especially tactile genre that benefits from in-person viewing. But even now, he sees silver linings, and adds that visiting in person isn’t out of the question, as one-on-one showings in the gallery can be done safely.
“COVID-19 has certainly changed how we galleries operate. There are seven galleries here in our ArtJCTX group, and we’re adjusting to the new normal … Facebook live streaming, Instagram, and Zoom are changing the way we market art,” Smith said.
For those looking to be creative during this extra time at home, he points out that A Smith Gallery, another well-regarded Johnson City artistic enterprise, is testing a series of printing workshops “in a box,” which include shipped materials and class instruction via Zoom.
These adaptations come as no surprise to Smith, who sees printmakers as innovators. Though his work continues to be sought after, he’s no less curious to see what artistic innovations come from COVID.
“The hands-on nature of our work is more rare than ever, and therefore more desired,” he said. “Since the 1960s, printmakers have been translating their ‘prints’ into installations, sculptures, and all types of formats. I think that is a very healthy evolution, because it clarifies that all art is about its meaning, not its technique or style or even subject.”
Lessons from a lifetime
For creative folks struggling to get by, Smith offers time-honored advice: stick with it, be true to yourself, stay curious.
“In my career, what I have seen is that what matters most is sticking with one’s unique artistic principals, no matter what… Times change, pandemics, wars, and revolutions come and go, but if you stick by your core art, and keep your artistic integrity, your time will come. Regardless… You will wind up with the art of the real you.”
Bearing that in mind, Smith’s final word to artists is to let their practices evolve: “I began in mixed media, then I got into printmaking. Now I’m into collage and calligraphy, and in my Hope Suite, a combination of the two. Who knows what will come next? Filmmaking? I don’t know, but I look forward to finding out. My final advice to all artists would be: stay in a constant state of wonder.”
Andrew Keys Pepper is a visual artist, editor, and writer. He’s also the author of two books: Why Grow That When You Can Grow This? and Growing the Northeast Garden.
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