Lily Smith Studio

Lily Smith

exhibitions

work

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work

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bio

Lily Smith is a painter based in the midwest with an emphasis on the female figure and subculture. She earned her BFA at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in studio art with a concentration in painting. She was raised and has always lived in rural Wisconsin.
Lily was recently an artist in residence through the Bud and Betty Micheels Student Artist in Residence Program and has a group show on display, 'sanctuary' in Furlong Gallery of UW Stout through september of 2025.

statement

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statement

It is important to me to focus on what it means to participate in womanhood, and what comes with being ‘feminine’, especially under the guise of a corporatized society. Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex categorizes women as ‘the other’ and men as ‘the default’. This implies femininity and womanhood is learned and not born with, therefore lacking essence, or an ‘eternal feminine’. The act of presenting feminine has always felt grotesque and unnatural. I value the representation of a niche, maybe ugly, perverted, and unidealized version of female identity. Being a woman is complex and is much more than a physicality. My work explores these matters.I had a ‘traditional’ upbringing, in which I was raised with emphasis on my womanhood over personhood. Traditional implications of womanhood are solely performative and work to enforce restrictive gender and societal norms. Even with the modern day multiplicities of feminism, we are still left with a hollow, corporatized version of a woman, based in materialism and consumption. Due to the strain placed on learned roles from childhood, women are often faced with, and fall victim to, imagery such as pornography, advertisements, and social media with expectations that shrink the image of a woman.I perform mimicry through painting stereotypes of femininity and how it relates to my own identity. i'm particularly drawn to the ‘performance’ and campy nature of feminine expectations, being influenced by drag and gender performance. I paint the female figure as a character that belongs to a particular world, not an object, nor accessory. I work to re-contextualize the idea of empowerment with overly customized, uncanny, and siren-like characters, serving as a means of displacement from a corporatized, dissociative, or ‘girl-boss’ feminism.

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cv

Education
2021-2025 BFA Studio Art-Painting, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WiExhibitions
2025
(upcoming), nice;03 juried by tim rickett and epiphany knedler, JFAC Gallery, aberdeen, sdseething : malding, the armpit Como, invite only, Minneapolis, mna separate thing, imagery after photography showcase, University of wisconsin-stout, menomonie, wisanctuary, Student Artists in Residency Exhibition, Furlong Gallery, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WIaffirmations, Gallery 209, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WI
2024
get whacked, gallery 209, university of Wisconsin-stout, Menomonie, wiout of balance, Gallery 209, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WIand then i woke up, Gallery 209, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WIPractice of Art Juried Show, Gallery 209, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WIto be a body, Gallery 209, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WI
2023
Still, Gallery 209, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WISpring Juried Exhibition, Furlong Gallery, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie WI
2021
Pride at Chestnut, Chestnut Center for the Arts, Invite Only, Marshfield, WI
2020
Just Justice, Colombia Park, Invite Only, Marshfield, WIrelevant experience and collectives
2025
Painting 1 Tutor/Teacher’s Assistant, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WI
2022-2024
Furlong and Student Galleries, Gallery Assistant/Social Media Coordinator, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WI
2024
Night-School Art Collective, Member, Menomonie, WI
2022-Present
Fine Arts Association, Member, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WIAwards
2024-2025
Student Artist in Residence and Grant, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WI
2024
Mikes art and design supply stipend winner, Menomonie, Wi
2021-2025
Academic Acheivement Deans List, university of Wisconsin-stout, menomonie, wiPublications
2025
student artist in residence showcase, university of wisconsin-stout, menomonie, wiArch, senior seminar publication, university of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WI
2023
New Stoutonian Paintings Portrait and Narrative Edition, Stoutonia, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WI