RANDOLPH TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Morris County) — County College of Morris (CCM) is presenting a retrospective exhibition celebrating the career of Keith Smith, a longtime professor, artist, author and poet.
The exhibition, now open through Nov. 4, is on view at the CCM Gallery in the Sherman H. Masten Learning Resource Center. The community is invited to explore Smith’s expansive body of work, which spans ink, paint, collage, photography, video, poetry and electrostatic media.
An opening reception will take place Thursday, Sept. 25, from 6 to 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, with wine and light refreshments provided.
“Art is the language I use to understand the world, to question it, and to reflect the human experience,” said Smith. “This exhibition is not just a look back—it’s a map of the journey.”
Smith, who is celebrating 30 years of teaching at CCM, has influenced generations of students as professor of art, dean of the School of Liberal Arts and chairperson of the Art and Design Department. He also played a key role in designing the CCM Gallery, which serves as a nonprofit exhibition space for both established and emerging artists.
His work has been featured at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton. His art is part of major collections nationwide and has been highlighted in publications and media, including Choices in Healing (MIT Press), Creative Healing (Harper), Animals As Teachers and Healers (New Sage Press), Arts Alive (PBS) and New Morning (Hallmark Channel).
Smith holds BFA and MFA degrees from the California College of the Arts. He is the author of Mourning Sickness: The Art of Grieving and has received numerous honors, including a Ford Foundation Fellowship, Gold Medals in Painting and Drawing at the California State Exposition, and a National Merit Award in Experimental Media from the American Film Institute and Sony Corporation.
The CCM Gallery is located at 214 Center Grove Road in Randolph. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. More information is available at www.ccm.edu/ccm-gallery.
To explore CCM’s associate degree programs in the creative arts, visit www.ccm.edu/pathways/creative-arts-media.
