Rita Smith

Biography

 

I studied painting at Camberwell School of Art 1974 to '78 (First Class Hons Degree) and the Slade School of Fine Art 1978 to '80 (Postgraduate HDFA). I was a visiting lecturer at Camberwell School of Art 1982 to '92, and Falmouth School of Art 1992 to '99.

I was living in London until I moved to the West Country in 1989 and since 2006 I have lived and worked in Plymouth, Devon.

I am a member of The 21 Group of Artists and an elected member of The Bath Society of Artists

Awards:

Orpen Bursery 1980, Boise Traveling Scholarship 1980, Guinness Award for best first time exhibitor at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 1993, Watercolour prize at the Bath Society of Artists Annual Open Exhibition 2015, Shortlisted for the Lynn Painter Stainer's Prize 2016.

 

 

 

 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2018 "Liminal Space" Artmill Gallery, Plymouth, Devon
2016 "Interior Views" Artmill Gallery, Plymouth, Devon
2014 "Of then and now" Artmill Gallery, Plymouth, Devon
2009 "A Life in Painting" The Theatre Royal, Mezzanine Gallery, Plymouth
2007 "Artmill on the Waterfront" Plymouth, Devon
2006 "Destination Unknown" Artmill Gallery, Plymouth, Devon
2005 "Thresholds" Artmill Gallery, Plymouth, Devon
2003 The Townmill Gallery, Lyme Regis, Dorset  
2003 "Time for Tea" accompanying the teapot collection from The Norwich Castle Museum, TheThelma Hulbert Gallery, Honiton, Devon  
1999  The Chapel Gallery, Saltram House, Devon  
1995  Plymouth Arts Centre, Devon  
1990 The New Street Gallery, Plymouth, Devon  

1984

University of Surrey Gallery, Guildford

 

 

 

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2020 Bath Society of Artists printmakers exhibition, Editions Gallery, Liverpool
2020 Echoing the Times, Belgrave Gallery, St Ives
2012 to 2020 Fresh off the press, Limekiln Gallery, Calstock, Cornwall

2002 to 2020

Mixed Exhibitions at Artmill Gallery, Plymouth

2015 to 2019 Bath Society of Artists annual open exhibition, Victoria Art Gallery, Bath
2003 to 2019 The 21 Group, Various Venues
2017 21 Group at the Penwith Gallery, St Ives

2017

Theatre Royal, Plymouth - Printmakers from Drawn to the Valley group

2003 to 2019 Drawn to the Valley, Various Venues and Open Studios
2017 The Limekiln Gallery Summer Exhibition, Calstock, Cornwall
2016 Lynn Painter Stainer's Prize, The Mall Galleries, London
2015 40 years of Camberwell School of Art students and teachers, St Ives Society of Artists & Belgrave Gallery, St Ives
2015 "Water water everywhere" Harbour House Gallery, Kingsbridge

2015

"Connections" with Peter Archer, Louise Balaam, Peter Clossick, Alex Fowler, at Artmill Gallery, Plymouth

2014 Artists of the Devonshire Association, Gloss Gallery, Exeter
2012 The Artmill Gallery - New Work by Rita Smith and Peter Archer
2011 The Limekiln Gallery Summer Exhibition, Calstock, Cornwall
2010,03,98,97,93 The Royal Academy of Art Summer Exhibition, London
2010 The Plymouth Society of Artists - Member's exhibition, Artmill Gallery
2009 The Artmill Gallery, New Work by Rita Smith & Madeleine Strobel
2008 Watching the river flow, Weir Quay Boatyard, Cornwall. Three artists in a boatshed
2007,06 The Drawn to the Valley Open Exhibition, Cube 3 Gallery, Plymouth, Devon
2006 The South West Academy Open Exhibition, Cube 3 Gallery, Plymouth, Devon
2005,04,03 S.W. Open, Plymouth Society of Artists, Plymouth Museum & Art Gallery
2003 to 05 5th International Minature Print Exhibition, touring venues in Scotland and throughout England
2004 Open Print Exhibition, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol
2004 Summer Prints, The Ropewalk Gallery, Barton-on-Humber, North Lincoinshire
2004 The 21 Group, The Sherwell Centre, Plymouth, Devon
2005,03,02,01 The South West Academy Open Exhibition, The Phoenix Art Centre & Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Galleries, Exeter
2000,98,97,95 The Singer and Friedlander/Sunday Times Exhibition & Competition, The Mall Gallery, London, Manchester, Leeds & Birmingham    
2000 "On Reflection" The Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Honiton, Devon
1999   "Couples" Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery
1999 "Towards Purity" The New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham, Surrey    
1997   "The Guinness Award for the Best First Time Exhibitor1991-1996" Friends Room, The Royal Academy Art, of London  
1996     "A Winter Collection" Gallery 27, Cork Street, London
1988     The London Group Exhibition, The Royal College of Art, London    
1987 "South East, North West" Four Artists, The Grundy Art Gallery, Blackpool      
1985    The International Contemporary Art Fair, Olympia, London    
1983  "53-83" Three Decades of Artists From ILEA Schools of Art", Royal Academy of Art, London  
1983,82,81    Various mixed exhibitions at the Gillian Jason Gallery, London  
1980,78 Stowells Trophy Award Exhibition, The Royal Academy of Art, London  
1978   Drawings from ILEA Schools of Art , The Whitechapel Gallery, London  
1978 Winsor and Newton Award Finalist, The Air Gallery and The Royal College of Art

Work is in the collections of The National Trust; Guinness plc; University College, London, University of Surrey; private and corporate collections in Great Britain, Germany & America.

For further information on these and other paintings and etchings by Rita Smith please email ritasmithart@yahoo.co.uk 

www.facebook.com/RitaSmithArt

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All images copyright Rita Smith and may not be reproduced in any form without permission. Last updated April 2020