Chloe Smith

On View through November 30th, 2024 at The Yards Collective, 50-52 Public Market Way, Rochester NY.

Link to Pre-order The Human Garden Tarot Deck: PayPal

Pieces in order 1-35:

The World / 4 of Wands

7 of Pentacles

6 of Cups

Queen of Pentacles

The High Priestess / Queen of Swords

The Hermit / 4 of Cups

Page of Pentagles

The Star / Page of Wands

Queen of Wands

Strength / 3 of Pentacles

9 of Pentacles

Justice / King of Swords

Ace of Wands

Queen of Cups

5 of Cups

King of Pentacles

Ace of Swords

Ace of Cups

The Moon / 8 of Cups

The Sun / Page of Cups

6 of Swords

King of Cups

The Empress / 2 of Pentacles

6 of Wands

Temperance / 8 of Pentacles

The Chariot / 8 of Wands

9 of Cups

Page of Swords

10 of Swords

10 of Pentacles

The Lovers / 2 of Cups

6 of Pentacles

The Emperor / King of Wands

The Magician / 3 of Wands

The Hierophant / 4 of Pentacles

Mural for private residence, Naples NY depicting Grimes Glen in early fall.

Acrylic on wood siding, 10’ x 25’

Mural for SUNY ESF Center for Native Peoples & The Environment. The mural depicts a restored imagining of Onondaga Lake, with native species of plants and animals that thrived in the area before the destruction by Honeywell. The lake is surrounded by asters, goldenrod & rudbeckia. In the foreground is a white cedar stand with moss, blue bead lily, mayapple, gold thread, beavers and passenger pigeons. Located in Illick Hall & Dept. of Environmental Biology Acrylic on cement, 9 x 12’.

Also pictured is the artist with Robin Wall Kimmerer, Director of the Center and author of Braiding Sweetgrass, and Ecologist Catherine Landis, ESF professor and research scholar of the ecology of Onondaga Lake.

Mural & canvas paintings at the office of Living 585 Realty in Gates, NY. Collaboration with Kaitlin Roney of Art Center of Rochester.

Mural: Acrylic, 40 x 15’, 2023.

Paintings: Acrylic, 20 x 20”

Lincoln Branch Library, 851 Joseph Ave. 30’ x 60’, Acrylic on masonry, November 2023.

The text to the left reads:

This mural is a tribute to the late Edgar SantaCruz, a beloved Rochester community member.

Edgar was an extraordinary person. He was a social worker, activist, community garden steward and volunteer. He embodied pure presence, compassion, and an ego-less drive to action. He was hilarious, friendly, easygoing, and generous, and he treated every person with the exact same kindness and lack of judgement. With so much life left to live, Edgar was tragically hit by a car on December 22, 2022 while walking his dog, Rosie, and they left this world together.

Edgar and Rosie will live on here, in the garden of his creating. Each plant symbolizes Edgar’s relationship to the world, and what he meant to our community.

Dandelions are for overcoming hardship, while larkspur embodies Edgar’s fun-loving nature, levity & generosity. A tall sunflower represents his brightness of being, loftiness and loyalty. The forget-me-nots in the center represent his lasting gifts to so many, and the perennial place he will hold in our hearts. Mistletoe above the door marks Edgar’s passing at Christmastime and blesses “a meeting place where no violence can take place.

This mural is part of the City’s Percent for the Arts Program, under the theme “My Rochester,” an exploration of what Rochester means to artists and different communities. Edgar’s legacy embodies the theme of “My Rochester,” his essence and hopes for the future that many of us share.

Press:

https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/lifestyle/2024/04/18/rochester-murals-brighten-city-neighborhoods-northwest-public-art-roc-murals-day-percent-for-arts/73345850007/

Front & Back album cover illustrations for Stephen Paul Guerra’s 2023 Release, No Balanco do Choro-Samba. Graphic Design by Julia Jones. Colored pencil on illustration board, 13x15”. Album editions plus this original illustrations pictured below.

To listen to the album, stream here:

https://stephenguerra.bandcamp.com/.../no-balan-o-do...

https://open.spotify.com/album/7pgCStNHFs3vxZeg9NbsEz

https://music.apple.com/.../no-balan%C3%A7o-do.../1716539674

https://youtube.com/playlist...

Garden shed mural for St. Marks & St. Johns Episcopal Church E.D.E.N. Gardens (Denver St Garden) in conjunction with Wall Therapy NY. The plants depicted are Tithonia, Yarrow, Sunflower, Collard Greens, Dockweed, Swiss Chard. Acrylic on wood, 2020.

This mural was inspired by my combined passion for urban gardening, creating public art, and the love I have for my hometown of Rochester. I feel very connected to the local urban gardening community, and was excited by the opportunity to honor that community as well as to depict my vision of the future of gardening in the city. I wanted to bring to life Rochester as I imagine it, moving toward a green & abundant future.

https://www.fruitionseeds.com/learn/blog/murals-at-fruition-from-rochester-with-love-chloe-smith/

Artist Statement:

My contributions to this mural are the iris, chrysanthemum, and lotus flowers. Each flower represents an element of the positive transformation Rochester is experiencing.

The blue chrysanthemum represents the end of a heartbreak. Learning from and accepting the tragedy of love lost, the healing can now begin. Chrysanthemums can also represent rebirth, and they are often chosen to commemorate an important time of transformation or a new beginning in one’s life.

Lotus flowers are symbols of strength, resilience, and rejuvenation. The lotus returns to the murky water each evening and open their blooms at the break of day. Lotuses root themselves in the mud, their stems reaching upward to break through the water. There, the unlikely blossoms grow, and the pristine lotus flower unfolds. Rochester witnesses ongoing hardships, it has been plenty submerged in the murky water of trauma. After every brutal winter, we somehow push ourselves up out of the mud to receive the sunshine, and open up again.

The purple iris is a symbol of enduring faith, hope & valor. Despite the change of seasons, the iris always re-emerges in late spring and lasts through the summer. The iris reminds us to be patient, stay hopeful, and seek out the true and ethical path despite the temptation of earlier but less sustaining blooms. In Ancient China, people believed that placing irises around a door or inside a home would keep negative energies away. The iris is viewed as a protector and positive influence, and I hope it serves that purpose here at St Joes.

I feel that Rochester is entering a renaissance, and its the kind of renaissance that starts from the roots. It is being led by activists, neighborhood leaders, small business owners, workers, parents, artists. It is a result of the collective compassion, pride & mutual respect shown for one another. I recently learned from listening to Evan Dawson on WXXI, that the Finger Lakes region is one of the few in the world with “Tier 1 soil” for growing and farming. To me, this means we have some of the best soil under our feet, and some of the best people that have been grown from it.

Richmond, Jasmine, and the volunteers at St Joes are some of the people grown from that soil. It was a pleasure coming to paint each day, and seeing the day to day nurturing that goes on at St Joes. I love painting with Richmond, and when he asks me to work on something, I say yes because I know it will be both spiritually fulfilling and benefit the community. Richmond is one of those people leading the renaissance, through “Revelation Rochester” and the many years of investing his talents and passion into those that need it most.

This mural was painted at the Greenhouse Cafe & Bright Urban Greens at 2271 E. Main Street, Rochester NY. Depicted are various herbs, insects and fish that are part of the aquaponics and greenhouse ecosystems at the location. Acrylic on stucco, 2020.

“The Four Seasons” murals are visualizations of the prophecies found in Hosea, 14 of the Old Testament, “O israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.”

This passage was chosen as the inspiration for this series for its message of revival following a period of darkness, in acknowledgment of the countless difficulties faced during the pandemic. These struggles, brought on by the iniquity of Covid-19 and its decades-long causation (unsustainable choices made by humankind in favor of economic growth) can only be matched with relentless optimism, and a hope to transform ourselves and our reality for the better. I find great hope in the reminder that “after the plague came the renaissance.”

Each mural represents one line from this passage, while incorporating plant & bird symbolism from biblical and cultural sources. By combining these symbols, each season represents a set of spiritual virtues, which unite to form a healthy, resilient, spiritual whole.

1. SPRING (Eastern Bluebird, Orange Daylily, Lily of the Valley)

Symbolism: New Beginnings, Prosperity, Gratitude

Hosea, 14.5. “I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.”

2. SUMMER (Release Dove, Olive Tree)

Symbolism: Peace, Wisdom

14.6. “His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.”

3. FALL (Great Blue Heron, Grapes, Corn)

Symbolism: Balance, Patience, Fertility

14.7. “They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.”

4. WINTER (Red Cardinal, Fir Tree)

Symbolism: Hope, Perseverance

14.8. “Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.”

Project led by Brooklyn/Rochester based Open Air Gallery. My contributions to this piece include the beets, carrots, selected background imagery, and lettuces. Mural is located at Lento Restaurant in Rochester NY. Oils on drywall, 2022.

A feminist, urban pastoral reimagining of the common biblical depictions of The Adoration of the Magi. Colored pencil on board, 2021.

From a series titled “Nothing Ethereal About Her,” traditional Greek Goddesses are depicted in contemporary settings.

Persephone : A victim and survivor, Persephone still bares the signs of her kidnapping and rape by Hades. The light and birch trees symbolize hope and new beginnings as she emerges from the horrors of the underworld.. she looks toward the sun and sees redemption and healing in her future. The sprout is a reminder of her connection to her mother Demeter, the goddess of the earth’s fertility...spring comes again now that her daughter has been returned to her.

Hera: Naive yet powerful, Hera has just been spurned for the first time by her adulterous husband, Zeus. The young Goddess of the Home has been pricked by the yellow rose of infidelity, and vows revenge against her husband’s mistresses.

Athena: The Warrior Goddess, Athena has left maidenhood and begun her journey across the Mediterranean to fight alongside the Athenians, demonstrating expertise and justice in war.

Demeter: Here, the Goddess of Agriculture and mother of the doomed Persephone is still young, hopeful and childless, cradling a hen as she graces the land with an abundance of fertility.

The Nine Muses:

Calliope, the Muse of epic poetry

Clio, the Muse of history

Erato, the Muse of lyric poetry

Euterpe, the Muse of music

Melpomene, the Muse of tragedy

Polyhymnia, the Muse of sacred poetry

Terpsichore, the Muse of dance and chorus

Thalia, the Muse of comedy and idyllic poetry

Urania, the Muse of astronomy

A montage portrait of fine art photographer Victoria LaColla. A representation of her creative process and sources of inspiration. Gouache on paper. 

Acrylic. A set of dresser drawers painted in honor of the great art nouveau icon Alphonse Mucha and the beginning of a series of furniture murals. I am collecting salvaged chairs, dressers, and other items to be transformed into fine art home decor pieces, in an effort to prevent landfill waste.

Refurbished end table. Original design with imagery taken from Alphonse Mucha's "Summer." Acrylic on wood. 

Acrylic portrait of painter, Frida Kahlo and tribute to her use of imagery and color.

Festival themed mural done for Atlas Hostel in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain. Acrylic.

The Los Indianos Festival, or the Carnaval de Santa Cruz de La Palma, is celebrated each year in honor of the "Indians," or the returnees from Cuba during the nineteenth century. The Indians had emigrated to Latin America and returned home years later bringing tales of wealth and prosperity. The procession marches throughout the streets of Las Palmas dressed from head to toe in white and throws masses of talcum powder in the air. 

The figure's white garb and Panama hat represent the traditional dress worn at the Los Indianos festival. The style of the mural is inspired by the European Art Nouveau and artist Alphonse Mucha.

Pigeons are an important symbol of pride in Gran Canaria as well, as they were the first people in the world to use carrier pigeons to transport messages. For many years, Canarians had contests to determine which pigeon could deliver a message the longest distance.

Colored Pencil. Floral portraits representing emotions:

Tranquility

Sorrow

One of five rolling door murals for new eatery businesses at the Sibley Square Mercantile on Main development, E Main St, Rochester. My mural combines imagery of three iconic downtown buildings (Sibley Building, Chase Tower, and Kodak) along with the symbolic Rochester lilacs and the City of Rochester flower logo. Acrylic on primed metal, 2020.

Album cover design and illustration for Trio Ghidorah, a Rochester based classical guitar trio, for their first album, Dances & Fantasies. Colored Pencil, 2020.

Design submission for the 2017 Beechwood Street Painting Project in Rochester NY.

Illustrating the concept of mutual symbiosis in urban communities. Neighborhoods and cities are examples of symbiotic relationships that have the potential to be successful and sustainable. Both the city itself and individual citizens reap benefits when we all work together and build off one another's skills and offerings. The imagery of plants and nature growing off of a turtle's shell relate the idea of social/economic symbiosis to the same systems that take place in nature.

Colored Pencil on paper.

Poster design concept submission for the Pollinator.org 2023 poster, “Climate Change and Pollinators: Little Things Matter.”

Colored Pencil on Matte Board, 15 x 20”

My concept illustration incorporates the the natural world of pollination and the human activities that support our environment to show how these two vibrant ecosystems are interconnected. The upper half of the illustration depicts a human hand unfolding to release a host of pollinating species entwined with partner plants & fungi (including echinacea, dandelion, ironweed, columbine, and reishi mushrooms). Pollen spores blow outward into the surrounding negative space in a show of vitality and fertile abundance. The lower image depicts a colorful, climate-minded urban ecosystem replete with fruit trees, urban farms, front yard vegetable gardens, renewable energy (wind, solar, wood burning), carbon neutral transportation (walking, biking) and politically engaged citizens living a pollinator friendly lifestyle. Wind energy, sunlight and clean air from the trees and activity below drift upward to power the healthy microcosm above. The colors of the houses and clothing below are a mirror of nature’s vibrant colors above, reflecting the similarities of humans and pollinators daily activities. A house is a habitat & charging station for us just as a flower serves this role for a bee, hummingbird, or ladybug.

The inspiration for this concept and my interest in submitting a piece for consideration is based in part on my work as founder of a community gardening organization in Rochester, NY called 490 Farmers. The garden began as vacant land in 2018 and now encompasses a half acre of pollinator gardens, plots for rent, a food forest, children’s garden, bee hives and more. The space has been built and funded entirely by the community, and provides a natural respite in the middle of downtown Rochester for humans and many other species. In the years I’ve spent working on this project I have learned so much about the importance of pollinators and how a healthy garden ecosystem negotiates the perfect balance between the “little things” and the humans that visit and steward it.

All of the plant and insect reference photographs used for this illustration were taken at the 490 Farmers space by our organization’s president and avid gardener, Karen Soanes. The street scene is based on an eco-friendly vision of my neighborhood, using photos taken from my studio window.

A mural at the former site of Grow Green, an urban gardening program for kids in Rochester’s 19th ward neighborhood. Acrylic on wood, 2018.

A representation of humanity's current relationship with the earth around it. We are heading toward the ruin and destruction of many of Earth's most treasured creatures as well as ourselves, as depicted by the compass's markings and centerpiece. Balance, or a return to a more symbiotic and natural way of life, is still an obtainable goal but we as a species must work to change our direction. Acrylic.

Book spine murals on the front and side facade of the Arnett Library in the 19th Ward, Rochester. Collaboration with local artists Richmond Futch Jr. and Ebony Singleton. Book subjects were chosen by library staff and patrons. First installment of panels begun in 2017, and the mural was completed in summer 2021. Acrylic.

My panels include:

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

The Life & Times of Frederick Douglas

The Biography of Susan B. Anthony

Twenty Two Years A Slave - Austin Steward

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

The Biography of Harriet Tubman

Archer’s Quest - Linda Sue Park

Robin Hood

Love You Forever

Press: https://www.roccitymag.com/arts-entertainment/arnett-branch-library-book-spine-mural-project-19th-ward-13665189

A landscape mural based on the poem "Clearing" by Martha Postlewaite, for a clinical psychologist's office in Brighton, NY.  Acrylic on canvas.

A collection of murals for private clients, primarily childrens’ bedrooms and play rooms. Acrylic, 2019 - 2022.

Two examples of pedestrian interventions centered around the idea of spontaneous play, sponsored by Healthi Kids PlayRocs initiative. Projects were designed and drawn out then opened for public participation during a community painting day.

1. Lexington Ave Community Farm (Foodlink) “Find your way back to the hive!” This piece is a bee-based hopscotch that teaches passersby about the different types of bees in a hive, plus what predators to avoid, and what type of flowers they seek out for pollen.

2. “Swillburg Pig’s Mud Maze” lets you play in the mud and follow the Swillburg pig’s muddy maze back to Rochester.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion mural for the front hallway entrance at TJ Connor Elementary in Scottsville, NY. The mural includes the American Sign Language finger spelling of Unity, a soaring dove for peace, tree and book symbolizing the growth of knowledge, and the LGBTQ pride rainbow. Acrylic on primed cement, 2021.

A two sided interactive hallway mural in the underground “link” tunnel connecting Rochester Central Library to the Rundell Library across the street.

Depicted in the mural is a pile of books chosen by teen volunteers, opening up into female superhero comic strip (concept created by Library Teen Center helpers). Taking you across the hall you fall into a diverse universe and cosmos of ethnic backgrounds, and a set of interactive angel wings. Acrylic, 2018.

Murals for children’s indoor play space, Magical Mess in Rochester, artwork chosen by the client.

Exterior Acrylic on Cement. Sidewalk painted to depict various curriculum imagery at Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School in Rochester NY.

The project is a collaboration between myself, Studio RAD, Commonground Health (Healthi Kids Initiative) and NYS Dept. of Transportation.

A 10' x 20' community/historical mural to be installed on the side of Crown Jewelers on Coach Street in Canandaigua, NY. Represented is the historic Granger Homestead, Canandaigua Lake, and first Canandaigua steamboat. All fish and floral imagery are those native to the area. Acrylic on Evolon canvas.

PRESS

http://www.mpnnow.com/news/20160923/mural-welcomed-to-canandaigua-neighborhood

http://www.amycolburn.com/blog/canandaiguas-coach-street-mural-highlighting-artist-chloe-smith

http://www.mpnnow.com/news/20160723/mural-soon-will-brighten-bare-wall-in-downtown-canandaigua

Blackboard murals at the offices of Burd Home Health & Burd Physical Therapy, and

1. Burd Physical Therapy, Fairport

2. Burd Home Health, Buffalo

3. Burd Home Health, Village Gate, Rochester

4. Burd Physical Therapy, Brighton

5. Commercial Cleaning Services of Western NY, Buffalo

Chalk marker & Acrylic, 2017 - 2021

One 9' x 4' mural done for Monte Alban Mexican Grill in Penfield, NY. Imaginary scene based on images of Colonial Mexico and Spain. Acrylic on canvas then installed on site. 

Four window sized murals done at Monte Alban Mexican Grill in Irondequoit, NY.  Images based on modern day Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Acrylic on cement.

Refurbished table painted with Art Nouveau inspired floral and bird motfis. Acrylic on wood.

Refurbished (from trash!) and hand painted with polycrylic coating.

Tropical themed mural commissioned for client’s nursery, with bird of paradise, ferns, monstera, banana tree. Acrylic, 2019.

Design for the gallery floor of StudioRAD in Rochester, NY. Acrylic on cement, 2017.

Collection of commissioned and student caricatures in various media, 2013 - 2021.

A series of caricatures done for the Neurosurgery Department at the University of Rochester.

The caricatures here were created annually for the new department rosters in 2014, 2016, and 2019.

Various commissioned portraits of clients' pets. Watercolor & Colored Pencil 

Collection of figure studies in various media, 2012-2021

Collection of personal & commissioned portrait studies in various media, 2014 - 2024.

1-3. Cortona, Italy - Watercolor

4. Adirondacks, Acrylic Sketch

5. Lake Placid, Acrylic

6. Blue Hill Farm, Waterford, Virginia

Portrait series of selected beneficial garden insects and pollinating flora. Acrylic 2019-2022.

1. Soldier Beetle (Marigold, Milkweed, & Clover)

2. Lacewing (Cosmos, Rudbeckia, Goldenrod)

3. Antlion (Poppies, Knapweed, Buckwheat flowers)

Springtime vegetables and plants for a collaborative poster project with Bee Paper House. Pen & Ink, Digital. 

Vegetable and branch illustrations for recipe card & wedding invitations series. Watercolor. Collaboration with Bee Paper House. 

A collection of logos created for various small businesses.

Series of handmade notebooks using recycled and scrap papers. Covers are original pen and ink illustrations on cut paper. 

Promotional pieces for Whelpley & Paul Opticians in Webster, NY. Completed Summer 2019.

Chalk Pieces commissioned by True Lily Gift Shop for the Canandaigua Wine Walk, 2017 & 2018

Chalk Pieces created for the Corn Hill Arts Festival, 2016 - 2024

Custom driveway chalk murals created for at home weddings during Summer, 2020.

Commissioned chalk piece created for Rochester Regional Health “Health Systems Week” at the Hill Haven Nursing Home, 2020.

A depiction of a gloved nurse’s hand releasing a bluebird above the earth, symbolizing hope and rebirth after a long winter, and overcoming an arduous time through compassionate care of one another.

https://13wham.com/news/local/chalk-art-honors-healthcare-workers-on-front-lines-of-pandemic

Chalk pieces created for festivals and clients around Rochester NY.

1-3. Garden Factory Arts & Crafts Festival 2016 & 2018

4. Fairport Canal Days (Philip Seymour Hoffman), 2016.

5. Park Ave Fest, 2017 with sand artist Katie Jo Suddaby

6. Rochester Public Market (Louis Armstrong), 2017.

7. Elderwood Village at Fairport, 2017 & 2019

8-11. Roc the Riverway Festival, 2019 & 2022.

12. Perry Chalk Fest, 2023