As a kid, Jason Smith always had a natural talent for visual art. In his early years growing up in Newport, Rhode Island, Smith states that his family always told him he should be an artist. When it came time to attend college, that familial influence and his own passion for art influenced him strongly. “I was going to go to business school,” Smith states, “But I chose the more natural route.” Over the next few years, Smith would have what he calls a “broken up experience” at CCRI, starting his classes in 2001, then taking a gap before once again starting up, eventually graduating in 2007 with an Associate of Arts degree.

Smith ended up enrolling in URI the following year, choosing Little Rhody over two schools in Massachusetts for an assortment of reasons. “The bottomline was location,” he states, “But I also got scholarship money, and my instructors at CCRI were closely connected to the art faculty at URI. They told me it was a much better choice over most other in-state institutions.” It was these connections to various faculty members that ultimately led to Smith’s success at URI, one of which left a lasting impression on him. “Bob Dilworth is just inspiring in himself,” Smith says about the professor of painting, drawing, design, and African American art history. “Getting to meet someone who’s an actual working artist and being invited to see his studio before I finished my classes was so inspiring too.” He also notes that his professors at URI accepted him for who he was and what he could do, adding, “They looked at me as more than just a student. They made me feel like I could really succeed.”

Graduating from URI in December of 2010, Smith received his BFA with concentrations in drawing, printmaking, and digital art. He notes how shocked he was at how quickly he was able to enter the workforce after graduation, receiving acceptances from multiple artist groups around the state. These included the Hera Gallery in Wakefield, as well as his mentor Bob Dilworth’s group. Smith also adds that he’s luckier than most artists due to the consistency of his shows — his average being about one a year — where he’s been able to sell his work. “If you don’t have something to look to next, you can get derailed,” Smith explains, “I’ve been lucky that my shows are so consecutive. I’m still living as a struggling artist, but I’m able to make money doing what I love on the side.” To new Arts and Sciences students, Smith has this to say: “Take your experience [at URI] seriously. Granted, I had the advantage of going in as an older student, but you just have to focus on your work and give it your all. You don’t always know who’s going to notice you, so every moment counts, including how you conduct yourself. It might just open doors for you.”

~ Written by Chase Hoffman ’21, Writing & Rhetoric and Anthropology Double Major