Overview
- Smith’s death was confirmed Tuesday by Half Gallery director Erin Goldberger and reported by multiple outlets, and no cause or place of death has been released.
- Tripoli Gallery said the Wainscott show set to open on Sept. 12 is being delayed as the gallery coordinates future dates with Smith’s family.
- Friends, dealers, and peers publicly mourned Smith, describing his loss as tragic and noting his move in recent years from commercial showing to community projects.
- Smith rose to fame with his fire-extinguisher “Rain Paintings” in the early 2010s and saw auction highs as well as a market correction before he stepped back from gallery-driven sales in 2015.
- After stepping back he founded the nonprofit Serving the People and reopened the artist-run restaurant Food to support emerging artists, work that now faces uncertainty as his projects and planned exhibitions are reassessed.