“In my art and life, I really strive to reverse the old adage that what you see is what you get. If I can be Coyote and practice my sneak-up, I can engage the viewers from a distance with one image and lure them in for exposure to another layer, which changes the initial view into quite a different reality. After all, that is what ethnic culture is all about-or even an ongoing relationship. What you see on the surface is never the same again once you begin to plumb the depths.”
Jaune Quick-to-See Smith was a Native American artist born on the Flathead Reservation, Montana.
She attended Olympic College in Bremerton, Washington, where she surpassed her male classmates in artistry. Even this didn’t guarantee her a career in art because she was a woman.
Later on in 1960, she went on to obtain an Associate of Arts degree, a B.A. degree in art education in 1976, and a master’s degree in art in 1980.
As a Native American woman, Smith frequently faced challenges in gaining acceptance into the art world. She formed the Grey Canyon Group in 1977 with fellow Native artists Ed Singer, Larry Emerson, Paul Little, Emmi Whitehorse, Felice Lucero, and Conrad House. Their goal was to spread awareness of Native American artists by finding galleries to show their work.
Their profound efforts garnered attention, enabling them to organize over 30 showcases.
By the 1990s, Smith used her artistic abilities to create pieces that explored Native American history. Her signature art style was layered canvases.
Smith has received a handful of awards in the span of her career and has had her work displayed in numerous museums and colleges.
Her pieces can be seen in the Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rollins College, and more.