| 1967-1987 |
| photographs, slides, drawings and paintings on bristol board |
| RESTRICTED: Do not circulate without permission of Special Collections (some items are large and fragile) |
| Contact the Department of Special Collections for location. |
William Arthur Smith (b. April 19, 1918 – d. April 27, 1989) was an American artist who produced art in a broad range of mediums including oil paint, photography, watercolor, prints and illustrations. Smith is cited as a pioneer in the use of fine art for commercial purposes and was one of the first fine artists to produce the images for postage stamp commissions in 1972. He was born in Toledo, Ohio and attended Theodore Keane's Art School from 1932-1936. He later relocated to Bucks County, Pennsylvania. His artistic style is described as “not only exhibiting a concern for naturalism and draughtsmanship, but a psychological and emotional depth” (Michener Art Museum, Bucks County Artists Database).
His art is represented in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Portrait Gallery, the Library of Congress, the James A. Michener Art Museum, and the LA Museum of Art.
In 1967, he was commissioned to produce a series of murals for the Maryland House Travel Plaza depicting important figures and events in Maryland history. Smith created eight murals on the North and South walls of the building, and the largest one installed in the lobby. The images included scenes such as General George Washington resigning his commission, and Andrew Ellicott & Benjamin Banneker in front of a map of Washington, D.C. The murals were removed in 1989 and 2002 and relocated to various cultural institutions in Maryland.
The William Arthur Smith Collection, 1967-1987 presents visual documentation of Smith’s artistic process and production of the Maryland House Travel Plaza murals. It consists of painted preparatory sketches, charcoal sketches, architectural plans, annotations, and photographs/photographic slides.
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