We were lucky to catch up with Dana/georgettes Granddaughter Powell Smith recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Dana/Georgettes Granddaughter thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

Looking back, I wish I had started my creative career sooner. Growing up I had all of the creative resources available to me. I was surrounded by Art. I have always created, even back then. But I created in private. I painted because it was relaxing. I never dreamt of being a professional artist. It was just something I did for myself.
I painted very little after starting a family. It wasn’t until the pandemic, the killings, the Marches, that I heard the voice. “You have to paint!” I was so angry and disappointed in the world. I didn’t know how to reconcile those feelings. I heard the voice again. “You have to paint”. I ignored the voice for around 2 weeks. Until one day the voice got so loud in my head “YOU HAVE TO PAINT! I got up from the couch. I went in to my garage. I took out paint brushes and canvas and started painting. (I always had art supplies even though I wasn’t using them) I have painted almost every day since.
I sold my first painting 2 weeks later.
I feel like if I would have started earlier in my life I would have more support, more exposure and even a mentor who could give me direction.

My experience has been unbelievable! Everything happened for me quickly once I put myself out there. I have shown in many galleries and museums, I have done murals and my art has been on Store brand products.

Dana/Georgettes Granddaughter, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Im a self taught visual abstract artist. I use simple shapes and colors to create thought provoking stories. My medium of choice is Acrylic paint. I have always been a creative. It’s just something we did as a family. When your Grandmother is a master artist i guess it all trickles down.
The problem I solve for my clients is Joy. When a person looks at my work they smile. What sets me apart from others is I put a lot of positive energy into every piece I create. I want that energy to follow the painting wherever it finds its home.
Im most proud of the fact that I have accomplished so much in such a short time. I took a 30 year break from the canvas to raise my children. I had no thoughts of going back until the Pandemic, the Marches and especially the police killings. It wasn’t until after the murder of George Floyd that I was propelled to the canvas by “The voice”. I was very frustrated and angry at the state of the world. I had to get those feeling out of me and on to the canvas. That is where it all began. I want people to know that i put my heart and soul in every piece of art i create. I consciously breathe positive energy onto the canvas. Everyone needs that energy in their life. Whether it be in their home or an office setting.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to continue the Powell family Art Legacy. My Grandmother was a Harlem Renaissance artist. She received much pushback for her 1937 mural titled “Recreation in Harlem”. She was commissioned to paint a mural depicting Harlem for the Nurses Pavillion at Harlem Hospital in NY.. She was the youngest and only female to receive this award through the WPA. Once her mural was complete it was said to have “Too much negro content!) They wanted her to change it, She took them to court to keep the mural the way she painted it.. She won!! After years of paint overs and a fire, in 2010 the Mayor of New York put 100’s of thousands of dollars into taking the entire mural wall down to have to the painting restored. “Recreation in Harlem” now hangs in the Lobby of the Harlem hospital in New York. Georgette Seabrooke Powell made many accomplishments in her life.She was
an art therapist pioneer. She went on to founding two art centers in Washington D.C and orchestrated Washington D.C’s longest Art fair at the time. “Art in the Park” by The Tomorrows World Art Center, went on for 35 years.
Most importantly she was my Grandmother. She is my inspiration. Her struggle and her journey to make Black art seen is what I continue.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn in Art is there is no right or wrong. Even though you are taught to paint in a certain way, it doesn’t mean that if you stray that you are doing something wrong. I used to think that my paintings weren’t good because I painted flat. I had to learn that my style was just as beautiful as realistic styles. My theory was later confirmed by my art being selected for Vinyl Murals, Publishing and even to be put on Meijer Store products for Black History month. There is not just one type of art. You dont have to paint realistically to be successful. You just have to put your whole self in what you create.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.GeorgettesGranddaughterArt.com
• Instagram: https://Www.instagram.com/georgettesgranddaughter
• Facebook: https://Www.facebook.com/georgettesgranddaughter
• Linkedin: https://Www.linkedin.com/in/georgettesgranddaughter
• Youtube: https://Www.youtube.com/@georgettesgranddaughter9356

Image Credits

Headshot by BOXX the Artist