We were lucky to catch up with Boyd Smith recently and have shared our conversation below.

Boyd, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

At Pembroke, I majored in Fine Art painting and knew that I wanted to pursue a creative career. I knew that if I leaned into the work that I loved, then I could make my own path. After I completed my undergrad studies, I was asked to help a friend run their art gallery in our hometown. We continued working together for almost two years. From there, the owner decided to pursue another entrepreneurial opportunity that left me in complete control of the gallery space. After he left, I was able to explore my ideas on how people reacted to creative spaces enhanced by particular colors and sounds. Implementing these ideas provided me a lens to understand the unique perspectives of viewers and how my concepts translated visually. This process further ignited my creativity and allowed me to connect with my community and culture through the arts. 

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am an interdisciplinary artist that merges fine arts and technology. I enjoy projects that allow me to explore new innovations and to partner with other creatives. I began exploring the ways that fine arts and technology intersect while obtaining my Masters in Electronic Time-Based Art and Studio Art Technology at Purdue University. During my time there I learned new forms of medium defined as art. Today, I work with museums and other cultural community spaces to develop engaging visual and digital content.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In 2017, I was finishing up my master’s degree and needed to decide on a topic for my thesis. During this time, our country continued to grapple with realities of racism and racial violence demonstrated through police brutality. The increased murders of unarmed Black Americans and in particular Black men was a topic I knew I needed to address. While it was intimately personal, it was important that I could create public discourse and offer a space for awareness and healing through my work. 

The Rudiments of ‘SuPre’ is a collection that engages the term Super Predator and the false idea that Black boys in the urban center were inherently violence and needed to be removed from the social order. My art worked to re-sensitize viewers to the value of Black Bodies and Black Life despite the current narrative. The creation of ‘SuPre,’ a fictional character in my work, helps challenge the demonization of Black boys as super predators and instead offers them the opportunity to see themselves as protectors of their communities.

Is there a mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to create community through the varying art disciplines and to make art installations that honor the past and present moments but look towards the future. As long as I can continue to make art that inspires me and that I’m proud of, I believe I’m fulfilling my professional and personal purpose.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.beadslab.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a3rd_boyd/
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/boydsmith11

Image Credits
all images credited to Boyd Smith