Geoffrey C. Smith (sculptor)

Geoffrey C. Smith
Geoffrey C. Smith
	File:18-foot-Stuart-Sailfish-in-clay.jpg Smith photographed sculpting the Stuart Sailfish, 2002
Born	June , 1961; San Fransisco, California
Nationality	American
Education	Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana
Known for	Sculpture, Photography
Movement	Minimalism
Website	www.geoffreycsmith.com

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Geoffrey C. Smith (born 1961-) is an American bronze sculptor and photographer. He is a graduate of Montana State University, and currently resides in the coastal town of Stuart, Florida. His best-known work is that of the "Stuart Sailfish," an 18 foot monument situated in Downtown Stuart that serves as the iconic symbol of the city.

Early Life

Geoffrey C. Smith was born in San Francisco, California in 1961 to Maurice Smith, a neurosurgeon, and homemaker Carolyn Smith^[11]. He is the middle child of three sons. His family enjoyed activities such as hunting, fishing, camping, and sailing. Thus, such an upbringing instilled within Smith a remarkable passion for the natural world and an appreciation and admiration for the animals within it^[1]. Smith's interest in artistry was subsequently inspired and cultivated by his maternal grandfather Charles. A polymath with extensive artistic capabilities, he was a renowned wood carver, and passed the interest in artistry onto his grandsons^[1]. By the age of 15, the precocious Geoffrey had begun to masterfully carve wooden duck decoys of such quality that veteran collectors became frequent customers^[12]. Because of his love for animals, Smith's work focused almost exclusively on that of wildlife. He continued to hone his skills in wood carving when he entered Montana State University to major in economics^[11]. Though he focused on his core studies, and graduated with honors, he also enrolled in several art courses, seeking to further advance his abilities^[11]. By the fall of 1980, he held his first gallery show at Gallery 85 in Billings, Montana, and promptly sold every piece he exhibited^[12]. Upon graduating, Geoffrey obtained his real estate broker's license, and began selling residential properties in Billings. Though successful, he was ultimately unsatisfied with this line of work, acknowledging that his true passion was seated in artistic expression. Seeking a medium that permitted more creative leeway, Geoffrey exchanged wood for bronze upon graduating in 1983, and promptly cast his first bronze sculpture, a trumpeter swan in 12 editions, in 1984 and promptly sold every edition upon casting^[10]. Encouraged by his success, Smith fully committed himself to his artistic work, and uniquely traveled the country for several years in a camper-van, selling his bronzes while establishing a name for himself.

Later Years

His efforts were rewarded when, in 1990, he was able to purchase the Carlin Hotel building in downtown Billings, Montana. Built on Montana Avenue in 1910, it served as a first class hotel for railway passengers^[7]. Smith converted the historic building into a studio and gallery that would showcase his work for the next six years^[8]. By 1996, Geoffrey found that he was becoming increasingly enticed by the pleasant climate of South Florida, with its abundant wildlife and diverse ecosystems. He eventually became captivated by Florida's famous Treasure Coast, and moved his family there the following year. Renowned for its immense natural beauty, famous sailfishing, cosmopolitan culture, and rich history, Smith ultimately settled in the town of Stuart, described as the "perfect place" by Geoffrey, and it is here that his artistic abilities truly blossomed^[9]. Downtown Stuart provided an excellent location for Smith to showcase his art, and he soon opened his gallery on 47 West Osceola Street in 1997^[4] situated across from the historic Lyric Theater. As his success grew, Smith also purchased a historic, 75 year old building on 104 Lonita Street, and converted it into a sculpture garden, showroom, and studio in 2001 ^[9]. This location provided a wonderful platform for Smith to showcase his talents until the building was sadly destroyed by Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Jeanne during the Atlantic Hurricane Season of 2004.

Style and Methods

Smith is characterized as a member of the minimalism movement, and his style may be characterized as "loose" wherein the subjects of his work are represented by their basic elements, with fingerprints giving the suggestion of feathers or fur. All of his bronzes are yielded using the ancient lost-wax casting process, whereby a clay original of his creation is transformed at the foundry into an enduring bronze of limited issue. He prefers smaller limited editions, proofing each work personally before signing and numbering. Smith also has opted for a traditional chemical patina on his bronze sculptures, preferring to represent the animal as nature has seen fit to create it^[1].

Stuart Sailfish

The Stuart Sailfish is an 18 ft bronze monument sculpted by Geoffrey Smith and cast by Eagle Bronze Incorporated, located in Lander, Wyoming^[6]. The 3,000 lb sculpture, installed in 2003 in the center of the "Sailfish Circle" roundabout at Dixie Highway and Joan Jefferson way, was created with special architectural armature, enabling it to withstand wind gusts of up to 200mph, an essential in an area frequently hit by hurricanes^[3]. Since its installation on January 2, 2003^[2] it has since been adopted as the symbol of the city of Stuart, Florida a location deemed the "sailfish capital of the world" ^[5].

Artistic Career

Public Commissions

Montana Fish and Wildlife Parks - Billings, MT
- Canada Geese Monument
Montana Fish and Wildlife Parks - Miles City, MT
- Pronghorn Antelope
The Audubon Institute - New Orleans, LA
- Family of Twenty-One Ducks
City of Stuart - Stuart, FL
- Stuart Sailfish Monument
Jensen Beach High School - Jensen Beach, FL
- Falcon Monument

Museum Collections

C. M. Russell Museum Complex - Great Falls, Montana
High Museum of Art - Atlanta, GA
International Museum - Tucson, AZ

Corporate Collections

The Tom and Mary James/Raymond James Financial Art Collection - St. Petersburg, Florida
Zoo Montana - Billings, Montana

Gallery Representation

Geoffrey C. Smith Galleries Inc. - Stuart, Florida
Call of Africa - Naples & Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Coconut Grove Gallery - Coconut Grove, Florida
Midtown Pace and Gallery - Hobe Sound, Florida
New Masters Gallery - Carmel, California
Art for Wildlife Galleries - Coronata, California
The Audubon Gallery - Charleston, South Carolina

Awards and Honors

Special Recognition - Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission - For “excellence in capturing the beauty of Florida’s wildlife and in appreciation for outstanding artistic contributions to Florida’s wildlife resources.”

References

1. http://www.geoffreycsmith.com/
2. Selvaggi, Christine (2003-2-9). "Officials dedicate 2 new landmarks in downtown Stuart". The Stuart News (Stuart, Florida). Retrieved 2014-4-14.
3. Giuffrida, Alicia (2004). “Florida artist counts on Eagle Bronze for expertise in making storm-proof sculpture.” “Lander Journal” (Lander, Wyoming). Retrieved 2014-5-2.
4. Moquin, Bill (2001-1-19). "Osceola Street artists brings bronze to life through sculpture". The Forum(Treasure Coast, Florida). Retrieved 2014-4-17.
5. Greenie, Will (2003-1-1). “Catch of the day- sailfish statue- reeled in”. “The Stuart News” (Stuart, Florida). Retrieved 2014-5-2.
6. Treadway, Tyler (2002-10-29). “Statue taking shape”. “The Stuart News” (Stuart, Florida). Retrieved 2014-5-2.
7. http://www.carlinhotel.com/
8. Montana Arts Council (1992-9-1). “Wildlife sculptor completes percent-for-art commission”. “ArtistSearch”. Retrieved 2014-6-1.
9. Treadway, Tyler (2001-1-16). “Spreading his wings”. “The Stuart News” (Stuart, Florida). Retrieved 2014-6-1.
10. Wolf, Denise (2004-2). “Geoffrey Smith Galleries, a perfect blend of art, nature” “Palm City Spotlight”. (Palm City, Florida). Retrieved 2014-6-1.
11. Mclaughlin, Vikki (1988-9-9). “A youngster learns from grays” “The Billings Gazette” (Billings, Montana). Retrieved 2014-6-1.
12. “Wildlife Art Magazine”. July-August issue (1998).